


Had Any Luck?

by PrinceRoan



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/M, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-10
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2017-11-28 19:02:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 73,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/677816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceRoan/pseuds/PrinceRoan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colin's new in town, freshly enrolled in the prestigious Pendragon College and lo and behold by some twisted turn of fate he's got himself mixed in with the rather handsome prat, Bradley Pendragon. He's not like any of them, but somehow Colin finds his place in the world. Prat and all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Beginning

He shot an arm into his blazer and grimaced. The last time he had worn uniform had been back in grade five or six. Turning to look at himself in the mirror, his frown deepened; plain black shoes with plain black pants and a pristine white shirt topped with an infernal, immaculately pressed blazer; all a size too big, baggy. The emblem of his new school, a knight atop a horse, was delicately sown in by his breast pocket—the only ounce of colour adorning his lanky frame. The gold and red of the proud patch made him sigh. No doubt the students were to be of the same caliber—unlike him. So why was it that he was being enrolled in this damned school again? Right, his mother had gotten a new job (he still didn't understand what it was that she did but she bought herself suits and short heels, marched out the door with her hair wrapped tight in a bun and received a sizeable paycheck at the end of every week) and she was bent on getting him the best education around. Pendragon College; owned by the highly prestigious Pendragon family whose roots were rumoured to be royal, though no one knew for sure. Their ancestors had originally built the building as part of a fortress like complex, way back when (as the rumour goes) they had executed people believed to be involved with magic. He scoffed. _Magic._

He opened his dresser and the door creaked and groaned as if it were in pain. He winced almost every time. The antique was a family heirloom that he had repeatedly swore to drop mercilessly at the side of the road, but to his mom it represented family history—what this supposed history was she never told him, but it was old and besides a few grainy black and white pictures of grim faced people that he was supposedly related to, it was the only thing left of his mother's childhood. Colin had often offered to let her have it since the new house had a closet big enough for a wardrobe twice the size of his. She was silent. The thing had ended up with him anyway.

He fished out a silky black tie with faint ribbons of gold slashing across it and fastened it loosely around his neck. Before leaving he scooped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Downstairs his mum was making breakfast, humming cheerily. She smiled brightly at him when he stepped into the kitchen.

"My, my, don't you look handsome!" She gave the boy a look over and nodded in approval.

"You don't think it's a bit dreary?" he asked, looking down at all the dark colours. It was a far cry from jeans and t-shirts he was used to donning for school, but then that was a time now passed. New life and all...

"No, not at all. What did you expect, vibrant blues and greens?" she answered over her shoulder as she gathered plates and cutlery to set the table.

"No, I 'spose not," he said, and sat down at the table, dropping his bag beside him.

A plate of scrambled eggs was placed in front of him with two slices of French toast on the side. He thanked her and popped a forkful of eggs into his mouth. He wasn't particularly hungry, but she'd never let him leave without clearing at least half the plate, not to mention the earful he'd receive about the need of having a 'healthy and protein packed breakfast'. He ate as much as he could and drained a glass of orange juice. The sunlight filtering through the window warmed his cheek and the green leaves of the trees outside were tinted with gold.

"Okay, so you're all packed? Have your lunch money?"

"Yeah don't worry about it," he answered, smiling as his mom hovered around him.

"I'll pick you up after school at around four," she reminded him, leaning her head to one side and sighing.

"Mum, you're being sappy, I'm only going to school," he said with a chuckle and shook his head.

"Be good, alright?"

He gave her a quick grin and stood to retrieve his bag. Not like he was going to kick the front doors open and wreak havoc. "I'm leaving! See you at four!" he called as he stepped through the open doorway.

"Be careful!"

"Yeah," he answered quietly and walked down the driveway, turning right when he hit the sidewalk. His bus stop was at the corner of the street, a short walk through his little neighborhood, as quiet as quiet could be—no people cramming the sidewalk, no cars stuck in traffic, suspiciously clean air. As he neared he could see a figure standing on the corner; dark skinned, curly haired and with an average build. She turned when she heard his footsteps, smiling politely.

"Hey, you're the new kid." Her wide eyes appraised him with curiosity.

"Yeah, that's me," he agreed with a tight smile. He didn't know that he was news.

"I'm Gwen," she introduced herself and offered a delicate hand.

"Colin."

"Nice to meet you." She turned to look down the street and then looked back at him with a half-smile. "You're not exactly what I expected."

He raised a brow. 

"Oh! Not that I mean that in a bad way, I only meant to say that I was expecting someone more, well, not as simple. Not that you're simple! Because you're normal and I mean normal in a—"

Colin raised his hand and chuckled. "Uh, don't worry about it, I know what you mean."

The girl blushed and nodded. At length, after her cheeks were no longer dark, she turned back to him. "Are you third year?"

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be in second, but my marks got me into third here." He hoped his modesty came across as sincere because it truly was. Colin was anything but arrogant, no matter the high average he maintained.

"Oh, that's really cool. Here comes the bus. You can sit with me if you'd like," she offered and then hastened to add: "not that you have to or anything!"

Colin nodded in appreciation and watched the bus pull up. Silly him for expecting a typical school bus, no, of course not, because that would be just a tad too normal and unimposing. Why do that when you can do this? The bus was painted a dark almost black metallic colour with metallic gold stripes running down its length. The school's emblem was painted on the side and the words "Pendragon" were neatly printed underneath in gold lettering.

Gwen noticed Colin staring and laughed. "Makes quite the statement, huh?"

"Yeah, I'd say so" he muttered and stepped aside to let her board first. He stepped up after her and greeted the bus driver whose attired made him look more like a chauffeur. He had been expecting extravagance (he had seen the bill for one full year of school), but this was taking it to a whole new level. He followed Gwen down the aisle, trying to ignore the curious eyes taking him in. After a moment most looked fairly unimpressed—fair enough really, he didn't cut an imposing figure. Colin took a seat beside Gwen and silently observed the people on the bus. He may or may not have been projecting his prejudices upon those seated around him but he saw in their faces pride and contempt, for him, for each other, for the very world outside. If they could decide what he was at a glance, so could he them. Colin had seen the nouveau-riche of the city, he'd seen that gleam in their eyes. Even Gwen, though much simpler than the rest, had a richer-than-you aura. Their faces were handsome and he imagined they all came of rich families with parents that spent longer hours at work than with them, who shooed them away to Pendragon so that they might secure a similar future.

Colin felt the odd one out, least of all by his looks; he and his mum were average folk, only recently having acquired the money to be able to afford a highger mode of living, but bringing with them the characteristics of simple, honest living. Cominginto money later in life as opposed to growing up with it produced a remarkedly different sort of people. The very decor of their house seemed to speak of years when a woman was a house-wife and the vacuum her most trusted friend. They didn't seek luxury, found solace in family—in each other—and enjoyed the warmth of a sunny summer morning—not that Colin believed the wealthy were vampires who avoided sunlight.

"You move here recently?" Gwen asked and Colin nodded.

"A week ago," he added, recognizing the question as a pretense for conversation and making an effort to respond. "Have you lived here long?"

"My whole life," she told him with a small smile. "It's a really beautiful place, nice and quiet."

The town, Camelot, had a quaint and homely feel about it; one of the many strong factors of attraction for his mother—she'd wanted something that felt like the country, without being so far removed from society as to be isolated. Their house was on a long wide street near the edge of town, a little community, perhaps twenty houses in all. It was fifteen minutes from school and around twenty from town centre. All in all Camelot itself wasn't a big town, suburban, fond of its greenery. His mother was never really the big city type, though she'd lived in an apartment building for over twenty years, she preferred the idea of small neighbourhood where everyone knew everyone and you didn't have to worry about leaving your door unlocked. Colin was glad they had found it, though he knew better than to leave the door unlocked. This was a fresh start, new job, new people, less hustle and bustle. Hunith seemed happy, therefore so was he.

"What's your schedule like?" Gwen enquired, bringing him out of his reverie.

He tried to recall his classes. "History, literature, philosophy and biology, if I remember correctly."

Her face lit up. "You're in three of my classes!"

Colin shot her an amiable smile. He wasn't overly excited but it was nice to have made a friend right off the bat and Gwen seemed his type. She was kind of shy and quirky but he could sense determination within her.

With each passing stop the students boarding spied Colin and openly assessed him—all bearing similar unimpressed faces—before continuing on to their seats to chatter with their mates. Now, Colin wasn't one to be overly self-conscious or one to seek out acceptance from others just to get by, but he was slightly discomfited by all their scrutiny. He turned his head toward Gwen.

"Did a memo come around about my enrolling or am I missing something here?"

Gwen giggled. "We haven't had a new student in a while so word travels fast. Plus, everyone's always interested in knowing who is rich enough to get placed here, you know it's the highest rated school in the area. No offence or anything, but you're not exactly the usual Pendragon student," she said, glancing at him apologetically. "It's actually quite refreshing."

Colin knit his brows and leaned back with a sigh. "Good to know," he said sarcastically. Another pair of eyes circled in his direction, bounced up and down his face and turned away with disinterest. He hated to be cliché, but it seemed as though it was going to be a long day.


	2. Pendragon

Nearing the school, Colin peered out of the window in awe. School? Castle would be a better word. He'd seen the brochure but the size of the place did not manage to transcend the pages. The building was enormous; built entirely of large chiseled stoned. Thick oak doors stood at the entrance; the dark cherry wood was slightly worn, but gleaming with a fresh coat of gloss. Two towers loomed symmetrically at each end, windows reminiscent of the Victorian era. There were smaller stain glass windows near the top of each tower, glass glinting in the sun. Two modernized buildings stood to the left and were clearly built to match the style of the main, older building.The parking lot to the right made Colin shake his head and smile. Mercedes, BMW's, Lexus' and Audi's lined the parking spaces. He wanted to laugh. These cars were probably Christmas presents compared to the book or gift card that he might receive. His mum had offered to help him buy a car by lending him a few thousand but he had refused. When he bought his car he wanted it to be all his, every penny from his own pocket. It wasn't an Audi, or Lexus, or even a BMW. He was pining for something simpler. Maybe a Mini Cooper, maybe a Mazda; something small and comfortable. Unfortunately, though, he was not a particularly good driver and bombed his first try at getting a license. Something about "you need a lot of work, son." He didn't let that deter him (too much) because he was going to drive...eventually.

He stepped off the bus and took in his surroundings. Students were milling about in groups, their voices melting together into a unintelligible chatter that could be heard from across the yard. Some were seated on the grass and others were on benches that were strewn along the lawn. There were two fountains enclosed by rows of purple and yellow flowers running parallel to each other before the main building. The familiar horse and knight statue stood erect in both fountains with water crisscrossing above its head. Wide cobble stone walkways connected throughout the complex creating a map of walkways that connected the buildings. A large open field extended behind the main building of the campus, curling around its corners to make a wide "U" shape. It was the greenest grass he had ever seen. The whole place was extremely well kept, not a hint of disorder anywhere. Colin suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable and promised that no matter what happened, he wouldn't dare complain about this school to his mother—not with the money she was forking over for him to go to a place like this.

Gwen walked silently, letting the dark haired student observe the compound. She subtly eyed him and thought that everything about him was unusual; his hair that was cropped short in a bowl-like cut, big ears hidden beneath his hair but peeked out nonetheless. His face and neck were long and his cheekbones so poignant that you could literally follow the shape of the bone underneath. His frame was lean and lanky, not a particularly flattering disposition. Separately his attributes were odd and out of place but all put together they fell into a gentle harmony that gave him a distinct look. Gwen thought him even cute. She had liked Colin right away; he was quiet, polite and unassuming, his smiles genuine. After being accustomed to the egotistic jerks at her school Colin truly was a breath of fresh air. She watched his curious eyes bounce right then left, up, down, over and over again until he finally drew his gaze back to her.

"Impressive," he said with quick breath.

She smiled nimbly. "This is just the outside," she answered and led the way to the front doors where long stone steps marked the way inside. She hopped up on the stone railing and Colin stopped before her, feeling the chiseled stone with his finger. "Usually the students wait outside before classes start. Just to hang out with friends."

He was about to answer but his attention was drawn by a loud roar of an engine. A group of girls near them broke into an excited chatter. Perplexed, he turned to Gwen for an explanation. She inclined her head toward the parking lot and seemed faintly amused, if not a little exasperated. Curious, he turned just in time to see a beautiful, two-door BMW slide into the lot. Heads turned in its direction and eyes watched as the car parked. Colin fixed his own on the drivers door and waited. He could hear the click as it opened—the whole compound seemed to have gone quiet—though surely that was just his imagination. He saw the sleek blond hair first and then the black aviator shades perched atop a straight nose. Now fully out in the open the figure that commanded all attention stood still for a moment, as if letting everyone get a good look. Colin didn't usually dislike people that he had never met before but he found himself taking a quick displeasure in this particular character. With his black blazer slung over his shoulder and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, all in all he was handsome. Colin could admit that, though he minded doing so.

"Who is that?" he asked, only letting his eyes leave the figure's face to look at the people around him, most as transfixed as himself. The person in question locked his car and knowing full well that all eyes were on him, stepped onto the sidewalk slowly, taking long and even strides. Even from a distance the curl of his lips was easy to decipher.

"That," Gwen drew out the word dramatically "would be Bradley Pendragon."

"Pendragon?" Colin echoed.

"As in son of the Dean. He's quite good for a show," she said and chuckled to herself.

Colin watched the young Pendragon with an ever increasing frown. He was being a complete ass, assuming that Bradley was a pompous, self-centred, egotistical air-head, without even having yet met the guy. At the same time he felt quite positive that he was partially, if not completely correct.

"Gwen!"

"Hey," Gwen greeted the approaching figure with an affectionate smile.

The tall ivory skinned girl smiled quickly and then focused her attention on Colin. Her dark marble-like eyes were curious, but no less scrutinizing than the others who had ogled him. Unlike the others, however, she looked genuinely interested in him, which was nice because her sincerity softened her eyes.

"Hi, I'm Katie," she said and offered him a smile and her hand.

"Colin," he answered, with a smile in kind, instantly warming to her. All of her features were made of assurance; from her stout chin to her long neck and back up to her piercing eyes and long black hair. She was unapologetic in the most literaly sense and her gaze seemed to be at once inviting and haughty as if she were beckoning you to her and daring you to take a step too far. She had a pair of wide honey-brown sunglasses nestled in her hair and Colin subconsciously inclined his head back towards the parking lot. His eyes danced over all the heads, but he couldn't find the one he was looking for. He turned back to Katie and Gwen.

She glanced over his shoulder and then her eyes were back on his face. "Colin, welcome to Pendragon!" She grinned at him and leaned back casually against the railing near Gwen. "Are you third year?"

He nodded.

"You look kind of younger than third," she said honestly.

"Yeah, I get that." All throughout his childhood his mates had teased him about his "cute little baby face." He had hoped that upon hitting puberty his child-like features might mature and they had to some extent, if his long legs and arms were anything to go by, but he still had a strong echo of a boyish look. On the plus side, girls often found him endearing for this. He had noticed that concerning his looks, one either found him strange and unattractive or pleasantly funny and cute. Often people were left undecided on that front and his personality had to fill in the gaps of their indecision.

Katie was speaking to Gwen and Colin tuned in and out of their conversation but was mostly occupied with trying to visualize the interior of the school. He entertained a few outrageous movie-like settings (not being the least surprised if they were to prove true) before heavy foot falls made him glance over his shoulder. His body turned along with his head when he saw the aforementioned Pendragon walking towards them. He stood facing the approaching figure at a diagonal angle. A few students stepped out of the blonds way as he passed and Colin felt an urge to do so himself, but grounded himself. Bradley swept past him without any acknowledgement. He might have glanced over at the new boy but his shades hid his eyes.

He nodded to Katie and Gwen. Katie raised a delicate brow. "The prince makes his dramatic entry," she intoned mockingly. "Every year."

Bradley smiled at her and Colin couldn't help but notice that his teeth were slightly crooked. Now that the "prince" was closer, Colin got a good look at him. He had an average but muscular build, his shoulders were broad and his jaw squared.

"Who's that?" Bradley, whose voice was irritably charming, asked Katie. He didn't even look at Colin.

Insulted by the man's flippancy, Colin spoke up: "Colin, if you care to know." He was rarely an assertive person, but he didn't appreciate being cast aside and could very well stick up for himself. Feeling highly defiant he added: "a little courtesy can go a long way." He stuck out his hand stiffly, challenging Bradley to face him head on.

Bradley turned slowly and looked down at the hand offered to him. For the first time, he looked into the kid's face. He contemplated the mousy appearance which contrasted with the fiery blue eyes that were staring at him resolutely. He felt Katie lean forward, eager for his reaction, knowing well that she bemused by the situation. No one challenged Bradley, at least not people who looked they would most likely lunch alone in the cafeteria. Most were afraid that his status as the Dean's son would get them expelled for whatever reason, as if Bradley would going crying to daddy every chance he got. This mock-respect he was showed was an unspoken rule on campus. A rule Colin was clearly not aware of. This tiny figure with bright wide eyes awash with innocence who stood before him with a brazen edge, seemed ready to run in the other direction or maybe bite. He lifted a hand to his face and took off his sunglasses. Taking a measured step forward he smiled easily and took the hand offered him.

Colin ground his teeth together as Bradley stared into his eyes. The vivid blue of Bradley's eyes brightened when their gazes clashed. Bradley grip was firm, his palm dry.

"Bradley Pendragon."

He stared at Colin until he could see the mustered up defiance crumbling in his eyes.

The school bell, an old giant that was hidden away in the left tower, burst out into a long peal that traveled the courtyard. Colin felt a jolt shoot through him at the booming sound and his gaze swung over to the tower. Only then did Bradley let his hand go. The blond slipped his glasses into place and went up the steps.

"See you around," he said over his shoulder and disappeared through the door.

Colin stared after him, throat dry. Katie side stepped over and flung an arm around his shoulder.

"That was pretty brilliant," she laughed. "I like you."

He turned to her and hesitantly smiled, not really knowing what he was being praised for. "Thanks?" He chuckled and followed the mass of students pouring into the school. He still wasn't sure if he'd just secured respect for himself or created a problem. He preferred the former, after all he had promised to be good.


	3. A Fated Meet

Once inside, Colin stopped short in awe. "This is amazing." The smell of polished wood filled his nostrils and the high ceilings made him crane his head up and his mouth to fall open. The walls were gleaming cherry wood, covering ancient stone, freshly glossed. The floors were wax-coated and smooth and Colin hesitated to step onto the fine rug laying over top it for fear of dirtying it. Students whizzed all around him, heading down hallways, through high arching doorways and up the stairs, which winded up from two sides to meet on a spacious landing. Four hallways led further into the building at the top and a two sparking glass doors tempted viewers on the first floor with shelves of books. A magnificent chandelier hung from the ceiling like a sun, warming the room and bathing everything its light touched with a golden glow. It was unmistakably historic, Victorian, but warmed with modern touches of furniture, coffee tables and plush chairs. Colin spun in place, trying to take in the immensity of the foyer while peering down the seemingly endless hallways. Upon the walls hung heavy paintings, the immortalized figures staring down at him accusingly with their icy blue eyes and combed blond hair- Pendragon's through and through. His imagination soared as he pictured what the place must have looked like centuries ago. Who had walked these halls? Lived in these rooms? Protected these walls?

Gwen was grinning at him and lightly tapped his shoulder. "Class is going to start soon."

"I can't believe this place," he whispered, barely acknowledging her words. He absently nodded at Katie as she swept past him with a wink. It was impossible. Him, in a place like this. It had to be a dream. Not a few months back he was shuffling through city streets, kicking cans along the sidewalk, sitting in hard chairs that made his back ache in rooms that were fit for hospital patients. Colin silently vowed to never complain about the place, no matter what the case. "Gwen, where's the main office?"

"Third door on your right," she said and leaned over to point to an almost hidden hallway behind the staircase. "See you in class, yeah?"

Colin's eyes fell on everything with quiet awe. It seemed unimaginable that this was a school. He reached out and let his finger trail along the wall as he walked. The din of the foyer died down as he walked down the hallway and he turned at the third door as told and knocked before he stepped in. At a lavishly engraved desk sat a young secretary. Her amber eyes peeked through heavy lashes and she smiled, brushing a strand of reddish hair behind her ear.

"What can I do for you?"

"Ehm, I'm new here, I was told to sign in."

"Welcome," she said as she turned to open a drawer. "You're going to need to get this signed by your teachers throughout the day."

"Thanks," Colin answered and rapped his knuckles against the wood lightly. He fingered the engravings of the desk and knelt to look at them; lions and horses, some birds in trapped flight in the wood. Simple, but beautiful carvings. He stood up and took the paper from the secretary with a bright smile.

His first class was in room 118, second floor. Colin made his way back to the foyer hastily, giddy. Class had already started and the hallways were quiet, giving him freedom to look over the place at his leisure. As he walked over to the stairs he listened to the steady beat of his steps against the wood. He went up at a languid pace, letting his fingers ghost over the railing. Once at the top he peered down at the entrance. The floors were dirtied with footsteps, the rug scuffed at the edges, but oddly enough it was fitting, to have evidence of occupation, movement. Turning away, he went to search for his classroom. He followed the numbers gleaming on golden tablets next to the doorways, not trusting himself not to get lost. With class in session the hallways were deadly quiet and Colin felt like a fugitive. He sighed and stopped in front of room 118, knocking softly before slipping in.  A tall, intimidating man in dark garments raised his head from behind his desk. The gaze given to him was blank and cold.

"Ehm, hi," Colin said and shifted uncomfortably as he neared. "I'm Colin Morgan, the new student. I'm supposed to have you sign this," he said as he held out the slip of paper given to him by the secretary.

"Go find yourself a seat, I'll hand this back to you at the end of class."

The man's voice was like ice and Colin was glad to distance himself. He turned to the class itself, ignoring the eyes pinned to him and searched the rows for a seat. The auditorium like room could hold up to a hundred students and was shaped like a Greek theatre, with stairs shooting up between three sections. He spied a hand waving him over and briefly smiled before hastening toward it.

"Hey," Gwen whispered.

He mouthed a greeting back. Leaning in close, he was going to ask if their professor was always so scary but was interrupted by a slow and gravelly voice.

"I'm Professor Aredian." The man removed his glasses and took a moment to polish the lenses. "Your history teacher," he continued, eyeing his students as if he were challenging them to protest.

Aredian's voice sounded like a thinly veiled threat. Colin could imagine the man dragging a finger across his throat. "Oh you haven't finished your homework? Too busy?" SLICE. In some instances his face relaxed just enough to make him seem kindly, but he mostly maintained a look of suspicion and on occasion a murderous glare. Colin stiffened when those beady eyes settled on him, watchful and guarded. A few seconds later and they were gone, off frightening other students.

He spoke about what was expected of each student, both by school standards and his own. Course outline, tests, classroom rules, etc. The general topics an instructor such as him was obliged to plow through on the very first class. Some of those seated, clearly new to him as Colin was, glanced at each other warily. Others familiar with Aredian zoned out and let his voice set a dark tone in the background of their minds.

Colin tried hard to listen, he even got out his notebook and pen to take notes, but the man's litany had him drifting off. No plagiarizing, yes good, absolutely no cellphones or laptops in class, okay, and if he found out that he was being recorded there would be consequences. Before he knew it, class was over and he was receiving his slip of paper, signed with an illegible hand. He smiled awkwardly at Aredian and ran to meet Gwen at the door.

"He's not as bad as he seems," Gwen said quickly "he's quite nice once you get to know him."

Colin looked skeptically at her. "You might be the only one who thinks that," he said with a smile. "Too nice and trusting for your own good."

Gwen blushed and butted shoulders with him. "Just do your homework, yeah? He's not kidding about that one."

He was off to Literature next and shivered when he thought of his next professors. If they were anything like Aredian he may start dreading school quicker than anticipated.

"Miss Nimueh, she's a really good lady, you'll like her for sure," Gwen spoke up, reading his face and reassuring him.

Colin had doubted her, but the instant he walked through the door he knew Gwen hadn't exaggerated. Their teacher was beautiful. Her features were all soft; from her deep, ocean blue eyes, to her full rosy lips that curled into an echo of a smile. Her skin was pale and her hair fell is luscious chocolate locks. Colin was amused by how severely this woman contrasted the shifty Aredian.

"See," Gwen said with a smile "I said so." She quirked a brow at him, noticing his eyes transfixed on the woman.

He blinked at Gwen and she shook her head with a playful grin. Colin watched her go and then fished out his paper, eager to hand it in.

"Hi, I'm the new student, Colin," he said as he came over to her desk, sliding his paper across to her.

"Ah, yes." She bent down to her desk to administer a quick signature. "Nice to meet you."

She smiled and batted her eyelashes and before he could blossom into a blush he inclined his head and turned to go. Gods, was she pretty.

Students were still filing in and this time around it was he who studied them. As good-looking after good-looking face passed through the arched doorway he started to see why so many had shot him their unimpressed sneers. It didn't daunt him though, he had passed the stage in adolescence of doubting himself. Despite the obvious superficial superiority of his peers, Colin found that the big city socialites were a whole different ballgame and these small town big shots really overestimated themselves - with that knowledge, it made their pompous heads bearable. He supposed that if he had grown up completely spoiled because he was filthy rich he would be able to perfect their sneers as well. And not all of the them looked conceited, he wondered if those were the ones with less money like himself. Colin didn't doubt that quite a number of those self-satisfied faces were masks to hide insecurity and pain, as so often was the case.

He leaned forward and placed his chin in his palm. Finally seats were filling up and there were only a dozen or so spaces left. Unlike his last room, this room was on flat ground, lined with heavy desks extended as far back as to make the Professor seem small. To compensate for the distance, the room was fitted with speakers and Miss Nimueh a handset microphone she could attach to her hip. Colin watched her move about the desk, looking up to greet familiar students with a bright smile. The clock struck twelve and she stepped toward the doors, intending to close them and just as she did so a older man in a dark grey suit beckoned her outside. Miss Nimueh announced that she wouldn't be a minute and stepped out. Before the door closed behind her, a familiar tuft of golden hair slipped through. Colin straightened up.

"What?" Gwen asked. His sudden rigidity had surprised her. "What is it?"

"What? Nothing," he said quickly—too quickly.

Colin turned to the front of the class feigning boredom and disinterest. After Gwen gave into his silence with a huff he let his eyes wander back over countless heads to Bradley. He caught a scoff in his throat because of course, the guy was sitting in what looked like his fan-club. Bradley's posse, all equally handsome though noticeably less-so than Bradley himself, converged around him like dogs to an alpha. In a room where all the desks were placed nearly inseparably this group of students had managed to enclose their own little area. They sat one row down and to the right from Colin, giving him an inconspicuous vantage point.

"You looking at Bradley?" Gwen's amused voice whispered at his ear.

"No," he hissed and was answered with an irritatingly sly smile.

"He is handsome," Gwen commented and Colin remained silent "even though he can be a tad arrogant."

Colin snorted. "Yes, that's nice, thank you."

"Hmm," Gwen hummed and stifled a giggle.

Colin narrowed his eyes uncomfortably. He did not like where this teasing was going. Bradley was strangely magnetic, his presence like a bright torch in the room amid a sea of dark suits. He was a Pendragon too, which made him worthy of note. Otherwise, Colin was disenchanted.

A burst of laughter made him glance to his right. A young male student was on all fours hurriedly gathering his fallen things together under the dancing blue eyes of Bradley and his friends. Papers were splayed outwards with pens and pencils scattered around. Colin grimaced and stood up. He crossed the rows and gritted his teeth as he got down on his knees by the flustered boy. Wordlessly, he helped him pick up his belongings.

"Thanks," the student mumbled, flushing before hurrying to an empty seat.

Bradley looked over his shoulder to watch the boy scurry off and clapped one of his buddy's on the shoulder, laughing. His blue eyes slid up to Colin and a glimmer of amusement sparked through them.

Colin turned his back on Bradley, muttering "prat" under his breath. He heard the squeak of chair legs behind him and winced.

"What was that?"

Colin stopped. His options seemed limited, especially since Bradley's voice spoke to his expectation of Colin backing down. To hell with him. "I said," he intoned calmly as he turned around. "Prat."

Bradley quirked a brow and took a step forward. "Prat?" he echoed and Colin nodded. "Tell me Colin," he said mockingly and paused, sizing the young man up—which really wasn't necessary but for the effect it created. "Do you know how to walk on your knees?"

"I wouldn't if I were you." Colin wasn't stupid, he knew very well he was rubbish at fighting (if that's what this was coming too) but once you're in, you're in and he wasn't going to allow Bradley the pleasure of seeing him back down. There was something about wiping the smug smile off of Bradley's face that rooted Colin to the spot, despite the fact that his hands shook. 

"Is that so? Common then." Bradley raised his arms and laughed. "Common," he beckoned, twitching his fingers, inviting Colin to take a shot.

Colin stole a quick breath and balled his hand into a fist before sending it for Bradley's cheek. His wrist was caught so easily that it momentarily infuriated him and he thought he could connect his knuckles with Bradley's cheek through sheer anger, but he had his arm twisted behind his back and neck thrown back helplessly in mere seconds.

"You're not too bright are you?" Bradley breathed out by Colin's ear.

Colin tried to wriggle out of the painful grasp. A quick blow to the anterior of his leg had him on the ground, on his knees. Oh, the smile that must have been on Bradley's face. Colin refused to look up, refused to add to Bradley's victory. Bradley twisted his arm harder causing him to gasp and then he was let go with a forceful push.

Colin stood up and rubbed his wrist. He didn't spare Bradley a glance and bit his tongue at the laughter that followed him back to his seat, into which he slumped. A comforting hand squeezed his shoulder.

"That was commendable," Gwen offered with a small smile.

Miss Nimueh returned and called for attention, immediate silence falling on the room. 

"Was it?" He sighed, still caring for his bruised wrist. God, that guy had a fierce grip. He could still hear a few muffled snickers from Bradley's group and imagined the brute must be quite pleased with himself. Colin couldn't say the same for himself. The impetuousness he had exhibited was uncharacteristic. Generally he was mild mannered and fairly imperturbable—it took more than that to rile him up. Bradley seemed to have brought out the worst in him. Prat.


	4. Well Frogotten

Colin's last two classes passed quickly. Philosophy promised to be interesting, if anything simply because his professor looked the part of a man who didn't know whether or not they were in the Matrix. Mr. Sigan had an odd look about him and a smile that belonged on the face of a patient at a mental hospital. Colin had to hand it to the man, not only did he know his subject but he approached philosophy with such ecstatic joy that when he spoke of the great Greek philosophers Colin felt choked with reverence; how could the name of Aristotle have fallen so indiscreetly upon his ear before? the man was a God. When Sigan spoke of Voltaire and dissected his arguments, Colin wrote furiously in his notebook to jot down every word. The way his professor moved about the room was captivating, as if he were drawing out scenes to match his words. The two and a half hours he spent in the classroom passed quickly, especially with Katie at his side, as enraptured as him.

His last professor of the day Mr.—well, he had specifically asked not to be called mister, so just Gaius—was an elderly man with shoulder length snow-white hair. His eyes were small and his whole face lined with wrinkles. He shuffled around the room with the distinct trait of his age, but his eyes shone with a contradicting youthfulness. His voice was slow, but intriguing—he spoke in a manner which accentuated every word with importance, so Colin's lecture notes were extensive. Bradley was in his class but had sat opposite him across the room, oblivious to his presence. Gwen seemed oblivious as well, since she hand't mentioned a word about him to Colin yet. A number of faces in the room were familiar to him, though none of them did he know by name. He ended the day well and walked out of the front doors with a smile, feeling successful, if a little blessed. Gwen was at his side and Katie joined them, questioning him about his day. He assured them both that he liked it, loved it even.

As they walked through the garden between the two fountains, they chatted quietly. The sound of engines revving rumbled from the parking lot, accented by impatient horns. Students were laughing and yelling to one another from across the compound, huddled in groups or in pairs; all in all, the loud but comfortable sounds of school life. The sun warmed his skin as he walked and a light breeze that ruffled the leaves of the trees around him swept past his ears. Bees were flying about collecting their nectar before the flowers wilted and died with the onset of autumn. The parking lot emptied and they walked towards it, accompanying Katie to her sporty, two-door Audi. Gwen and Colin saw her off and waved as she drove out.

"Fancy taking a seat?" Gwen asked him and pointed to a bench across the lot.

A group of students were standing around a jet black motorcycle, its proud owner leaning against it with a shameless grin of pleasure. The owner was sporting a leather jacket and aviator shades, speaking highly of the vehicle and patting the seat lovingly. One of his friends clasped his hands together and spoke rapidly. The owner grinned and handed him the helmet, cautioning him with a hand on his shoulder and a stern look. Colin and Gwen stopped to watch the motorcycle in action and shrank back as it roared to life. The driver took off and nearly fell off, but tightened his grip on the handles and smiled as he flew past his friends. Colin chuckled when the guy's face froze in horror when he made a sharp turn and was echoed by hearty laughter near the edge of the lot. Bradley was standing with his friends, watching the spectacle and making comments about the man's driving. Colin turned away and took Gwen by the elbow, nudging her forward. As they walked the motorcycle came speeding towards them and Colin had to pull Gwen back as the thing came flying past them, a quick apology shouted into the air. Shaking his head, Colin kept a watchful eye on the bike as they walked toward the bench.

They watched the bike zip around the parking lot and the boys hollered at his friend when he attempted tricks and minor stunts. Bradley was talking animatedly and laughing, eyes crinkling at the corners. Colin shifted in discomfort.

"...so, I'll take you out next week to some of those places, if you'd like."

Colin nodded gratefully. "Yes, definitely. Your number?"

After exchanging digits she left him and went to go catch the bus. Colin sat back and checked the time. Ten to four. He peered down the road but didn't see their car. Out of his peripheral vision he could see Bradley coming his way and forced himself not to outwardly frown. He was not looking forward to a second round of what had transpired during class. A new student was mounting the bike near him and gunned the engine too quickly, almost propping himself up for an unexpected wheelie. Colin could still see Bradley walking toward him and hoped the blond might simply be passing him by, but the sight of Bradley's car standing idly across from him made him doubt himself. With a sigh he turned to Bradley and stood just as a shout and screech of tires jarred the air. The biker had underestimated the speed of the motorcycle and his wide eyes betrayed his fear as the bike stole forward, speed climbing. The owner of the bike was screaming "BRAKE!" but the driver's hands were locked on the gas, immobile. Colin kept his eye on the swerving bike even as he ran forward and clutched Bradley by the arm, intending to pull him out of the way. Bradley turned his body toward him and gripped him fiercely. They both lunged toward the grass as the motorcycle sped past where they had been standing. The squeal of brakes, so sudden, left rubber on the concrete pavement and sent the frightened driver careening through the air, arching high and meeting the ground with a heavy thud. Colin sat up and craned his neck to see the damage done. The bike was lying on its side, scratched but ultimately free of any dents and likewise, besides a cut above his brow, the dazed young student sat up cradling his head, shocked but unbroken. Colin fell back onto the ground and gave in to sucking in much needed air. He turned his head toward Bradley, wide eyed and concerned and when his gaze was met he stiffened and quickly pushed himself up, gathering his bag.

He spied his car sliding into the lot and hurried toward it, praying that his mother stayed inside the car. He ran up to the passenger door and threw himself in, mumbling a quick "go" to his mother's questioning glance. He could see her eyes assess the scene and her lips tighten, but she did as he asked and silently turned the car around. Colin could see Bradley's friends surrounding him, arms helping him up, lips moving in concern. The last thing Colin heard before they drove off was an indignant voice yelling: "Idiot! You scratched my bike!" and the last thing he saw was a handsome face with flaming blue eyes staring straight at him. Colin slid down in his seat and leaned his head against the window. 

When they parked in the driveway Hunith turned on him with such fearsome eyes that he shrank back and quickly slid out of the car and hurried to the house. She followed him and cornered him in the kitchen with crossed arms as he washed off the dirt on his palms. "Speak."

"Ehm," he said with a shrug, trying to downplay the scene as much as possible."These idiots were playing around with one of their friends motorcycles and one of them lost control. Just jumped out of the way, no big deal." He attempted a lighthearted smile as she looked him over gravely. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You're not hurt?"

"Positive," he said and it was true, other than a slight pain in his elbow after hitting the ground he was unhurt. He briefly extended this thought to Bradley and hoped he was faring similarly.

She gave him a long look over. "You've dirtied your suit."

He looked down at his pants and frowned. "Oh, well...when's dinner?" he asked to change the subject, barely escaping her scrutiny. In his room he dropped his bag and took off his shirt. He pulled his elbow up and surveyed the damage; it was sensitive and flaming red, probably warning him of an impending bruise, but otherwise intact. He sank onto his covers and crossed his arms behind his head, quietly humming in amusement. That was probably the most eventful day he'd had in a while and he was quite honestly anticipating the next morning. He had chanced to make two good friends, one questionable affiliation and a schedule which allowed him time to explore the school. He began to doze off, going over the details of the day. Gwen's smile stuck out in his mind and the sheen of Katie's raven coloured hair against her ivory face; Aredian's cold eyes and Nimueh's pink lips; Gaius hobbling across the room and Sigan practically bouncing off the walls. His heart pounding in his chest, blood rushing to his face, his fingers digging into Bradley's skin, the strong grip in return...

Over dinner, he studiously avoided recounting the incident at the parking lot and distracted his mother by telling her about the school instead. She nodded her head and seemed pleased when he mentioned having made friends, even suggesting that he invite Gwen over. As she washed the dishes, Colin poured himself a cup of tea and slipped out to the front porch. He sat down on the steps and looked up. His eyes roamed the night sky and he quietly murmured the names of the constellations; Equuleus, Aquila..most clear during September evenings. Warming himself with tea, he leaned back and sighed. Before him lay open grass and asphalt, a novelty to a city goer like him. For as long as he could remember he had wanted a backyard. The playgrounds in the city were in parks but they were not his, not like the ones he saw on television, not his own. Now he had a front yard and a backyard and his mother a garden to tend in the spring and summer months.

It was fairly surreal, as if it were happening to a different person, a different Colin. But as he looked at his hand and felt cool air brush against his skin, hair standing on end, he knew it was real. He smiled and in a moment of surprising clarity realized that there was no sense of loss, not for their apartment, not for friends, not even for the music store he so often visited on his way home...he had left nothing behind.


	5. Expectations

"Colin," his mum yelled up the stairs. "You're going to be late! Up, up!" she chanted raucously.

Colin groaned and turned onto his back. The mere thought of leaving his bed made him shudder. Waking at seven every morning was not worth it, definitely not worth it. The excitement he had felt the night before had left him and as he got up and shuffled his way to the bathroom, he grumbled incoherently about it being too damn early. Nothing was worth the pain of slipping one's toasty feet out of bed and onto cold floors, to leave such soft comfort...

"Hurry up, eat your breakfast."

"I'm eating," Colin muttered between his teeth. If she pointed at the clock one more time he might actually storm out of the room. Colin was not a morning person. He finished his bowl of oatmeal (not bad for a microwavable breakfast) and straightened his tie as he walked to the front door. "I think I'll take the bus home."

"Alright, I'll see you later." Hunith pecked him on the cheek and smiled. Colin may not have known it, but he had outgrown the bony, knock-kneed boy he had once been. His height had balanced out his thinness and his face had matured, especially his eyes, no longer too round for his face. He may have remained thin, but he was in no way lacking in respectable attributes. So much like his father, though he did not know it.

Gwen was turned toward him long before he walked up to the bus stop. He had seen her from down the street, watchful and waiting.

"Hey," he said warily.

"Morning." She grinned at him and leaned forward. "How are you?"

"Fair, you know..."

"Oh! Nothing of interest happen lately then?" she asked, humming the last note quizzically.

Colin narrowed his eyes. "No," he answered firmly and turned away.

Gwen side-stepped into view and peered at him. "No? Really? Are you sure?"

Colin laughed at her insistence. "God, who told you?"

She shrugged. "Not important. Bradley owes you, huh?"

Colin clicked his tongue in distaste. "No. There's no 'owing'."

"But it's true? You were almost run over by a bike?"

Sighing, Colin nodded. "It wouldn't have ran us over..."

"Yet you saw fit to throw yourself at Bradley and save him?"

"No, really. Who told you? Is that what they said?"

Gwen laughed and patted his cheek. "I'm just teasing."

He waited for her to finish chortling and stood with his arms crossed, tapping his foot. Colin had done nothing but take precaution, he had "saved" no one and had not intended on heroics. He had reacted and that was that-nothing more. When the bus pulled up, Colin made sure he cut in before Gwen and board before her, glancing back with a pointed glare. She laughed in his face and poked him in the ribs, unperturbed.

"What are you doing two weeks from now?"

Colin shrugged. He never understood people who planned weeks ahead. Too much opportunity for inconvenience and then a problem when you've created an obligation for yourself that you cannot fulfill or have to fulfill with displeasure. He appreciated the idea but preferred the 'one day at a time' regime.

"We usually plan a camping trip around this time. I don't think you've had a chance to visit Merendra yet?"

He perked up at the mention of the name, remembering having wanting to visit the area sometime. Two weeks from now or not, he make himself available. "No, but I'd love to come. Long-weekend?"

She nodded. "Good, Katie wasn't going to let you stay home anyway."

Colin's eye caught that of a curly haired blonde and he made to smile but sat back in shock when she narrowed her eyes at him and sharply turned away. Surely he had not managed to wrong someone already? Gwen sighed next to him and he raised an eyebrow in question. What in the hell...

"Vivian. Extremely difficult to be around, follows Bradley around like a love-sick puppy. You've almost got to feel sorry for her," Gwen explained, shaking her head ruefully.

"Which has nothing to do with me," Colin added after she had finished. He stared at the back of Vivian's golden curls uneasily.

"She doesn't take kindly to people encroaching on her territory," Gwen said with a giggle. "Competition and all."

Colin side-glanced her and decided to let the comment fall from his mind. No point delving into the meaning of her words, most definitely not a good idea. So, he feigned comprehension and changed the subject to the impending camping trip of which they spoke until the bus rolled to a stop and the doors hissed open.

The minute they stepped off, Katie ran over and threw an arm around Colin's shoulder. "I said it before, but you really are brilliant aren't you Colin?"

"And who told you?"

"The Prince himself; regrettably, I might add, I don't think he enjoyed playing the damsel in distress," she said with a snicker, clearly having used this same line on Bradley and beaming with pride over it.

Colin shook his head, eager to change topics of conversation. He appreciated Katie's tact, for when she looked at his face she bit back her comments and sidled up to Gwen. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs by the front doors and Katie told Colin about the trip, which according to her, was going to be like his initiation. Into what? No one elaborated further, but he didn't mind. It felt good to be invited, especially to something that was a sort of tradition.

He absently looked around the school grounds and skimmed over the students when he caught sight of Vivian. She was facing him, though not conscious of his presence and he took the chance to observe. She was undeniably a pretty girl, light skin and rosy cheeks, straight teeth and curvy hips. Her hair fell in gentle curls right under her bosom and though she gestured excessively with her hands and spoke in a voice which was shrill even from a distance, Colin didn't doubt she was Bradley's equal in popularity. Her uniform skirt was folded to make it shorter and the buttons on her shirt were undone daringly low, though she wore a tank top underneath to account for some kind of modesty. She nudged her friend and spoke eagerly, pointing briefly across the lawn. Colin followed their gaze and a smile twitched at the corner of his lips when he found himself staring at Bradley. Vivian touched up her face in the mirror held up by her friend and tousled her hair before walking over to Bradley, hips swishing emphatically.

One of Bradley's pals elbowed him and quirked a brow as the girl sauntered over. Colin noted, with a smidgen of interest, that Bradley's face screwed up into an unnatural smile as she neared. He watched as Vivian flirted, oblivious of the way her constantly batting eyelashes and hair fluttering made her look a bit crazed. Bradley was polite, if a little stiff, smiling and answering her, but his eyes kept darting imploringly at his friends as she spoke. Colin stifled a laugh when Vivian stepped even closer and pushed her bosom into Bradley's chest, forcing the blond to retreat and nearly fall over.

"Smooth," Colin thought to himself as Bradley gently withdrew his arm from under Vivian's hand to scratch his head. Bradley's chest vibrated with a forced chuckle and Colin felt sympathetic to his plight. Just as he thought of looking away, Bradley's eyes met his across the lawn and he paled. Colin dropped his gaze with a flinch, cursing quietly.

He purposely turned himself away from the blond pair and stewed over being caught. His logic told him that nothing particularly worrying had transpired but he was self-conscious of Bradley's eyes catching him watching, overly conscious of the way Bradley's lips had twitched upwards as he turned away. Just as Colin was growing frustrated with himself for even entertaining these thoughts a voice greeted him from behind.

"Alright?"

Colin flinched, surprised by the way the sound of that simple word had been so unmistakably Bradley in his ears, as if he'd heard it a million times, in every tone possible and always just as assuredly from one set of lips.

None of this showed on his face as he turned to greet Bradley with a polite nod, in fact he had settled into such a tight mask that Bradley looked at him peculiarly.

Katie grinned as if she were waiting for something to happen and Gwen briefly raised her eyes and then looked between Colin and Bradley with a hardly contained smile.

"Can I talk to you?" Bradley motioned to the left with his head and stepped away awaiting a reply.

Colin brushed past Katie and dutifully ignored her hand slapping his back, oddly congratulatory and fell in behind Bradley, hesitating to walk at his side. He made no comment when Bradley curbed his pace and walked at his side and he endured the silence and suspicious glances falling upon him as they walked. Bradley seemed oblivious to the attention. "So," Colin ventured, not particularly enjoying the way his voice broke the silence.

"I didn't get the chance to thank you," Bradley spat out quickly, the words tumbling past his lips as though he had to force them out. "And," he added before a meaningful pause "to ask if you were alright."

Colin had to give Bradley credit. It was a lot more than he had expected, if not the complete opposite of what he had expected. His appreciation, though spoken in a strained voice was sincere and Colin felt himself flush, embarrassed. "It was nothing. I'm fine," he answered, shortly, without meeting Bradley's eye, focusing instead on the sound of their footsteps. His words presumed the end of their conversation and without thinking he hastened to add: "How are you?"

Bradley turned his head to look at him and smiled, crooked tooth poking out by his lip. Colin watched the sun glint off of a few stray blond strands of Bradley's hair and smiled back.

"Fine," he said and then punched Colin's shoulder, earning him a surprised cry. "Idiot."

Colin rubbed his shoulder with a frown. "You're the idiot," he mumbled lamely, unable to restrain his smile from widening. 

Bradley slowed to a stop and tipped an imaginary hat to him briefly before turning on his heel. "This doesn't mean we're friends," he called over his shoulder.

Colin rolled his eyes. Prat. "I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass!" he yelled back and cursed the smile that stretched his lips when Bradley laughed.


	6. Building Bridges

Colin's classes were both interesting and engaging; he listened attentively, did the work and tried not to visibly shrink back when Professor Aredian met his eye or when Professor Sigan grinned maniacally at him. He favoured biology, largely due to his professor, to whom he had taken a liking after having stayed behind multiple times to chat with. Gaius was soft-spoken and knowledgeable, surprisingly stern when called for and able to inject humorous anecdotes into his lectures to break up the monotony of the subject. Colin had laughed out loud when, during a lecture, Gaius was walking through the aisles and stopped behind Bradley, who had been chatting with his friend, and dropped the book he was holding on the blond's head. The silence after the heavy thud was thick and quickly drowned out by an eruption of mirth. Surprisingly, Bradley looked up at Gaius with a good-natured smile, an apologetic shrug of his shoulders. But then Colin should have been used to this by now, Bradley had surprised him more than once.

Colin sat next to Gwen in three of his classes, beside Katie in one and studiously ignored Bradley in two. He had been hoping to work in group, meet new people, and was given the opportunity in his Literature class. The students were to pair up and analyse a poem based on the methods of analysis they had been learning during the week. Fairly standard and perhaps not what he had imagined as group work, but nonetheless an opportunity. Miss Nimueh, in an effort to ensure that no student was left wanting for a partner as close friends ran to pair up, decided to draw names from a hat. Colin eagerly pulled his name and unfolded the little slip of paper.

"Read the name please."

"Bradley," he read resentfully. Not what he meant by 'meeting new people.' Colin looked down to catch Bradley's eyes and motioned questioningly with his head as to who would move to whose desk. Bradley just barely smiled at him and turned away. Sighing, Colin stood and packed up, joining Bradley at his desk with a frown. Vivian, who was also in his class, had looked devastated when he had read Bradley's name aloud. He considered switching partners with her as he passed but decided to deny her the pleasure.

Bradley leaned back in his chair and studied Colin's sour face with a raised brow. "You know," he intoned sarcastically and flicked Colin on the forehead with his pen "there are a number of people here who wish that it was my name they pulled."

Vivian for one.

"I haven't the faintest notion as to why," Colin replied with a sneer. Bradley's eyes smiled at him and his scowl deepened. "I'm not doing all the work by the way," he said with a pointed look as he put his book on the table.

"No, I suppose someone has to get us a good mark," was the calm, just south of a laugh, response.

Colin snorted and took out the poem. Working with Bradley was not at all what he expected- again, he should not have been so surprised. Bradley was focused and attentive to detail; he tore the poem apart line by line, finding the weak points of its structure and the height of its rhythm. Colin worked out the metaphors and similes, the images in Bradley's formulated lines. They worked together. Where Bradley saw the text head-on, Colin saw behind it, under it and together they analysed it to its fullness, covering all perspectives. Colin's depth to Bradley's form and before class ended they had handed in their analysis.

"That wasn't bad!" Colin shook his head absently, as if still disbelieving that they had gotten everything done so quickly and so well. Bradley had not teased, had not made comments or distracted him. 

The corner of Bradley's lip twitched. "I suppose. Not bad," he echoed "for an idiot."

Colin sneered, though his eyes belied his amusement. 

"Are you coming next week?" Bradley asked.

Colin looked up sharply, surprised at the shift in conversation. "Camping? Yeah."

"I drive Katie and Gwen and I already know they'll want you in the car with them, so I'll pick you up at yours at four."

"Oh, ehm, well you don't -"

"Shut up, Colin."

"Okay."

The bell rang then and everyone was up, shuffling their pages, stuffing their bags, chatting. Bradley met his friends at the door and turned back briefly, catching Colin's eye. Colin's breath caught. Bradley neither smiled nor nodded his head, he just looked and Colin dropped his gaze, discomfited by the intensity that held him for mere seconds. Colin could handle Bradley's jokes, his arrogant remarks, but when his face dropped all pretenses and he quite simply stared and Colin's stomach twisted into knots, he could not bear it.

The next week passed by quickly. Life had become routine and most of all familiar. The house began to smell more of home, as opposed to newly painted walls and plaster. All the boxes had been unpacked, the rest unceremoniously left in the garage, that lawn mowed and the carpet stained by coffee. Hunith had begun to come home from work with a smile, sighing as she slipped out of her heels, relaxed as she sank into the couch or into a kitchen chair. She'd made friends with the neighbours' and actually been absorbed into the neighbourhoods group so to speak, they met on friday nights at a bar, both women and men; divorcees and bachelors, stay-at-home mom's and single dads. Besides Gwen, who lived a street over, there was no one remotely Colin's age on the street, but he was popular with the kids, letting them scamper up and onto his back and swing from his arms. For two people who had lived in the city their whole lives and barely known their neighbours apart from the way one's television would blare through the thin walls or one would stay up until three in the morning every day, they settled easily into suburban life.

The day of the trip, Colin woke late. Waking early was hard, but once awake he felt rested, ready to go. Past ten, he woke up groggy and with swollen eyes, quite possibly having slept too much if such a thing was possible. Without changing he shuffled downstairs and into the kitchen. 

"It'll be so boring here without you," Hunith said as she put on the coffee. "Grilled cheese?" 

Colin nodded and yawned. "You'll be fine," he assured her. He shot a quick glance at the clock; good, he had four hours to get ready.

"You're allowed to drink, but don't be stupid, and if you're going to get intim-"

"Stop!" Colin held up his hands. "Please don't. It's as awkward now as it was when I was thirteen."

"I'm only making sure that you remem-"

"I know, and I do. Mum," he stood and walked over, pecked her on the cheek lightly. "Don't worry alright?"

She shook her head. "I always worry."

He squeezed her shoulder. "I'm going to go pack," he said and poured himself a cup of coffee. Colin left the kitchen and was on the third step up the stairs when the doorbell rang. He jumped down and opened the door. Colin could only blink.  "How did you know where I lived?" tumbled past his lips. Bradley was wearing a white t-shirt, a black zip up sweater and dark blue jeans. Colin stood awkwardly in his checkered pyjama pants and black shirt, self-conscious of the homely attire though Bradley was equally informal. 

"Hello to you too. Katie told me, and no I don't know how she knew." A small grin, barely visible, followed the words. "Are you going to invite me in?"

Colin drew in a breath and stepped aside. "Of course! Sorry, that was rude," he blundered.

Bradley stepped into the small two story house and his eyes took in his surroundings as Colin closed the door. "Quaint," he commented.

Colin tried to discern sarcasm in the words but they were oddly sincere, so he merely nodded, unsure of how to proceed. Bradley was four hours early, in his house, just standing there...

"Colin? Who is it?" his mum called from the kitchen.

"Just a friend," he replied hesitantly, hoping she wouldn't- 

"Well hi!"

Did she run? He could hear running water from the kitchen and sighed. He would have to snatch Bradley upstairs before they got too acquainted because Colin knew that Hunith would start telling stories and if it got to that he might as well dig himself a hole and die.

"Ms. Morgan," Bradley said and inclined his head, the very picture of elegance.

Hunith was taken aback. Prior to this young man she had always been greeted with a quick: "What's up Ms. M?" even hearing a rather curt "Yo!" once to which she had remained silently perplexed.

"You have a lovely home."

Colin narrowed his eyes at Bradley, distrusting the silkiness of his voice, though the effect it had on his mother seemed favourable. 

"Hunith," she said, holding out her hand "and you are?"

"Bradley Pendragon."

"Bradley? Colin, why is this the first time I'm hearing of this charming young man?" She gazed at her son reprovingly. 

"Uhm? I don't...I'm sure I've mentioned him before..." he mumbled and scratched behind his ear. Bradley's eyes danced over his face and he could feel heat rising into his cheeks. 

"Now then!" She clapped her hands and beamed at the boys. "You two run along upstairs, I'll make tea! It was a pleasure to finally meet one of Colin's friends," she said and snatched Colin's coffee mug from his fingers before heading toward the kitchen, smoothing her wrinkled apron along the way.

Colin cleared his throat and pointed up the stairs. "Come on." He took to them two at a time and was unnerved by the echo of Bradley's steps following him, wondering whether or not his room was clean.

It mostly was. A few strewn clothes but the the bed was made, the carpet vacuumed and his desk free of scattered papers.

"She's nice," Bradley said and dropped himself on the bed, as though he'd done it a million times. 

"You're early," Colin said, questioning tone underlying the words. He stood in the middle of his room, not knowing what to do with himself and looked down at his guest, sitting on his bed, in his house. Not a problem.

Bradley's eyes darkened and he averted his gaze. "Yeah," his voice was cold and sharp, but only for a second. "I hope you don't mind, though I wouldn't care much if you did." He grinned, raising a brow challengingly. 

Colin was contemplating the bitterness he saw and was relieved that it passed from Bradley's face quickly.  "I don't mind," he said and moved to the closet. "I have to pack."

Even as he packed, Bradley's presence unnerved him. He felt responsible for conversation but could think of nothing to say, so he counted his shirts instead, mentally checked off his toiletries, ignored the eyes following him, reminded himself not to hunch, ignore, ignore, ignore.

"You're very systematic," Bradley commented, following Colin's progress with his eyes. He leaned onto his elbows and smiled. "I just threw a bunch of things together."

Colin chuckled, imagining the state of Bradley's bag. "It's easier like this." He walked to his dresser and retrieved his socks and briefs, the latter of which he unceremoniously stuffed into his bag.

"Cute," the blond teased with a grin. "The one with the smiley faces."

Colin blushed and rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

The moment after this, as though a bridge had been crossed, a door opened, conversation flowed easy. They talked of nothing, conversation most would find mundane, yet it made Colin smile to hear Bradley speaking of the weather, of school. 

"I have to get the sleeping bag from the garage," Colin interrupted once his clothes had been packed. He held the door for Bradley and they made their way down, promising Hunith they'd be right over for tea. 

The garage was in disorder, full of boxes and garbage bags packed with miscellaneous things. The light flickered to life and then died. Colin tried it several times before giving up and cleared his throat. The only light was filtering through the tiny square windows on the garage door, illuminating floating specks of dust in the air. A shelf (simply a wide plank of wood jutting out from the wall) was packed with leftover furnishings and Colin spied the sleeping bags up near the corner. The adjacent shelf was packed with bulky objects, of which only the silhouettes were visible, most of which Colin was unaware they even owned. He scanned the room for a ladder but remembered that they had gotten rid of it after one of the steps had cracked off- cheap, plastic garbage.

He walked over and checked the height up to the shelf, jumping up to see if he could reach it. Sheepishly he turned to Bradley and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uhm...do you think you'd mind lifting me up...I can't reach..." 

Bradley cocked his head and glimpsed at the shelf. "Sure."

Colin turned and nodded up to where the sleeping bags were. They were right under the fold out camping chairs and he asked Bradley if they needed some extras. He felt Bradley behind him and jumped slightly when he took a firm hold on his hips, fingers digging into a comfortable spot.

"Ready?"

The warm breath hit his exposed neck and Colin nodded. He heard a faint huff as he was lifted and was surprised at Bradley's strength. Mindful of the effort, he reached for a camping chair and moved it off to the side, the sleeping bag was still buried and he pulled on the string, trying to slip it out. It refused to move and he redoubled his effort. He could feel Bradley's hold tremble. 

"Can't hold you up forever Colin, you may be thin but you're still rather heavy," Bradley said with a mild strain.

"Almost got it," he answered, and dug his fingers inside the mess on the wooden ridge.

Bradley's grip started to slip and he moved his hands, trying to maintain the hold. Colin's shirt bunched up in his grasp and his fingers slipped to the skin underneath.

Colin sucked in a breath when he felt Bradley's touch on his bare hips. He pulled on the sleeping bag and it started to give way under his insistence. He could feel himself slowly losing height as he slid down between Bradley's hands. His shirt was shifting upwards and it caused Bradley's fingers to trail up his body. "Ah," he gasped and then flushed, mortified. Oh God.

"Almost," he said again, and pulled furiously at the damned object. He finally gathered it into his hands and hooked his fingers around the chair's string as well. "Okay!" He heard Bradley exhale as he let go of him.

As he slipped to the ground, the chair legs got caught and brought down half the shelf with it. Colin dropped what was in his hands, lifting his arms up to protect his face. He stepped back instinctively and stepped on Bradley's foot as he tried to get out of the way. He tried to steady himself and dropped one of his arms back, accidentally digging his elbow into Bradley's stomach. They ended up on the floor with the sleeping bags, the chairs and a surfboard, amongst other things. A nice film of dust had accumulated and the hacking and coughing was loud.

"Fuck," Bradley cursed as he held a hand behind his head, having knocked it painfully on the cement.

Colin flipped over. "Shit! I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He lifted Bradley's head softly, supporting him with a hand placed over the blonds. He breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his head back once he saw that there was no blood. He flapped away some of the dust in the air. Looking down, he was about to reassure Bradley that his skull was intact, but stopped when he saw the glint of Bradley's teeth, lips curled upwards, eyes amused.

"What?" He furrowed his brows.

Bradley smiled and spoke with a note of playfulness. "I'm having trouble breathing with you sitting on me." 

It was lost on Colin who made a horrified expression as he noticed that he was straddling the man underneath him. He flew off of Bradley. "I'm sorry!" 

Bradley chuckled and pulled himself up, dusting off his sweater and rubbing dirt off of his t-shirt. "Don't be," he said, and then held a hand to his throat, dry from the dust.

Colin gathered what he needed, only momentarily allowing himself to wonder at Bradley's words. "Tea would be good now," he said hastily and gave the blond a quick and crooked smile. He nodded his thanks as Bradley held the door for him. 

When they stepped into the kitchen Hunith was placing two grilled cheese sandwiches on plates.  She looked up and half gasped. She ran two cloths under the tap and dutifully handed one to each of the boys. "Clean up your faces," she ordered.

Colin and Bradley exchanged amused glances, holding back a giggle like a pair of conspiring children. They sat down and rubbed at their chins, noses and cheeks. Once finished, Bradley handed his dirty cloth to Hunith with a polite smile.

Colin turned to him and noticed a bit of grime just beneath Bradley's ear. "Oh, here," he offered and leaned forward to rub it off. Bradley's eyebrows shot up and Colin recoiled as if he had burned his hand. "You had, ehm, dirt..." he explained lamely, avoiding his mother's gaze and wishing he had never woken up this morning.

"You've apologized to me enough for one day," Bradley answered with a grin as he took a bite of the sandwich.

Colin was set at ease by the words. He tried to recall what it had been like to see Bradley saunter down the sidewalk, eyes hidden behind his shades, blazer thrown over his shoulder. The man sitting in front of him was far removed from the first impression Colin had of him; he was attainable, on equal footing. Colin busied himself with his tea and silently pondered the turn of events. After they were done and had put away the dishes, they went upstairs to change out of their dusty clothes.

Upstairs Colin was contemplating his closet. He would have thrown anything on, but was studying the rack for suitable clothes for Bradley. Between the white t-shirts through to the black ones the choices seemed indefinite. He chose a navy blue for himself and a black for Bradley and threw it over to him.

"Hope you don't mind," he said. He turned away and carefully slid his dirty shirt off. Looking down, he noticed a few red blotches on his hips. With a snort he turned to Bradley. "I think you might have bruised me," he chuckled and touched the marks, could still feel the pressure of Bradley's fingers. He looked up, intending to tease Bradley and his breath caught in his throat when he saw Bradley's eyes running the length of his figure. When they stopped on his hips, he hoped that the shiver that shook him hadn't been visible.

"You're heavier than you look," Bradley pointed out, slowly trailing his eyes back up to Colin's face. The tinge on Colin's cheeks did not escape him and he allowed himself a smile.

Colin wrestled his shirt on. "You're probably heavier," he answered lamely.

"All muscle," Bradley replied and flexed his arm. 

Colin scoffed in dismissal, despite the fact that the blond had a point. Bradley was fit, thick legs and arms, broad chest, lightly dusted with hair...Colin sharply turned away and mentally kicked himself, abashed by his reaction. 

Colin wordlessly let Bradley carry his bag and he gathered their clothes. "Mum, could you add these to the wash?"

"You can grab your clothes on Monday when you drop Colin off," Hunith told Bradley. 

"The white one and black sweater are Bradley's," Colin added, shrugging defensively when Hunith raised a brow at him.

Bradley smiled as he listened to the exchanged. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Colin said. "I'm just going to grab the beer." He ran to kitchen and grabbed a six-pack of ale, holding it in one hand and the sleeping bags and chairs in the other. Hunith lectured him on the dangers of the wilderness and advised him on how to keep safe, much to Colin's amusement. 

"Everything I said applies to you too Bradley," she finished.

"Yeah? Alright, thanks" Bradley chuckled, nodding his head respectfully. 

"Now go on, enjoy the weekend. Don't get lost Colin, you're horrible with directions. I've got my cell..." she rambled on about warm clothes and such until Colin quieted her with a hug.

"See you in four days," he spoke softly into her ear and then let go.

They went out the door and Bradley popped his trunk (not the BMW, but a nice Volvo 4x4), placed Colin's things inside, everything short of actually opening the door for Colin himself. They got into the car and waved goodbye at Hunith as they drove off. Colin was at ease in the car, though it was a more confined space than his bedroom. Colin was conscious of the change when he thought hard about it, but otherwise simply acted as he saw fit, reacted to Bradley's open disposition, returned his smile and dropped his hand to absently caress his hip as he looked out the window. 


	7. Falling

They drove up to the campsite by eight and a party was well underway. The air was chilly and the ground cold, but nothing a warm sweater and a seat near the blazing bonfire wouldn't fix. They were greeted with cheers, raised bottles, and flushed faces—no one had wasted any time with drink. Someone brought out a stereo and the cheers were drowned out in beats and electronic trills.

Colin was to share a tent with Katie and Gwen, Bradley with his mates and they hastened to set it up so that they could join the party. They were unpacked and sitting near the fire by nine. Bradley had gone off to join his friends and Gwen had excused herself to—come to think of it, Colin didn't know where she was. He searched the faces illuminated in the orange glow and found her sitting with a familiar face, a tanned face, artisan hair down to his shoulders, a bit of stubble, a face whose name escaped him. He thought hard, knowing that he'd better figure it out lest it plague him the rest of the night. He knew he shared a class with the young man. History? Yes, two rows down. Lancelot. He had only ever heard him referred to by his nickname and settled with that. Gwen was huddled close to him, smiling and raising her eyes shyly to meet his. Colin made a note to bring that up later, it was worth teasing her about.

He spared them a last glance before leaning back comfortably into his chair. Katie had a hand placed amiably on his arm, but her head was turned to her other side talking to a red haired girl with green eyes that reflected the yellowish hue of the flames. Colin's gaze wandered around the fire, cataloging the new faces, those already drunk, single guys cruising the girls, failing horribly, laughable. There must have been over thirty people standing around the bonfire, though it was hard to account for all of them since they were continuously moving about. He saw Vivian at Bradley's side, talking and twirling her hair. She leaned up fearlessly and brushed their lips together. Colin stilled. Her hand knotted itself in Bradley's shirt, Colin's shirt his brain reminded him, as though the fact was worth noting, and she pulled his head down to her. The blond let her kiss him, but pulled away when her hand went down to his side.

"Hi."

The soft voice made Colin turn, both reluctantly and with relief. He was disturbed not so much by Vivian's actions but by his reaction. A thin girl with wavy brown hair and dark eyes was smiling at him tentatively.

"Hey," he answered, trying to place her. "Lit?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah." She looked away and then back with a small smile. "How do you like the school? I know that you're new..."

They talked for a while about the college, about each other and Colin found her to be friendly, once she got comfortable. He enjoyed her company, but when there was a lull in the conversation he excused himself. Grabbing a pocket flashlight out of his pack he went into the woods to relieve himself. He made sure to be well out of sight and stood behind a tree. Next to him a faintly trodden trail caught his eye, only noticeable by the flattened grass. He shone his flashlight and stepped onto it, following the narrow track that lead further into the forest.

The sky was filled with stars, littered with them, differing in brightness but all visible. He stared in awe. Tree branches obstructed his view and he walked until he found open ground, to find the fullness of the sky. He craned his neck upwards as he walked and somehow found his way down to the bank of the river. The water churned softly and the liquid caressed the pebbles on the bank gently as it washed over them. Colin spied a dock a little ways off and delved back into the brush, unconcerned with the lack of a trail. When he found the wooden planks, he tested their strength with one foot, finding them stable though they creaked. He stepped carefully down the dock, wary of his footing until he stood at the edge, where he could watch the far away galaxies gleam. He searched the sky for shooting stars but none would fall.

A month now and it was nearing its close. The city felt like a dream and he was glad of it, the sky was never so bright there, the air never so still, silence a luxury. It was disappointing to him in a sense, that he could so easily let go of so many years of his life without even a hint of regret, as though they had meant nothing at all. He considered his luck at meeting Gwen and Katie, both kind and so welcoming of him. They were a good pair and he liked liked their easy going ways, how they'd smile from ear to ear making their eyes sparkle and the way they had embraced him, made him feel welcome—wanted. He'd talked to that Lancelot fellow once and was determined to do so again because the guy seemed nice enough and it might do him some good to add a male element to his circle of friends. And of course there was Bradley, who he disliked at first, maybe even still. Prat. Colin smiled. No, he didn't dislike him at all. He'd warmed to him, reconsidered his first impression, recognized him as a friend. Their tumble in his garage came to mind and he shook his head, blushing at the thought. Bradley's hold on him had been strong, the brush of his fingers electrifying, his breath hot on his skin. Colin reddened and breathed out shakily.  _Stop._

"Watch your step!"

He gasped, found himself perched precariously on the edge, an inch away from falling into the water, but he was pulled back just as sharply as he had been pushed forward. 

"What the hell!?" Colin turned angrily.

Bradley grinned and took a step forward.

Colin stepped back.

"You almost fell in, lucky I was here to save you," he said and took another step forward.

Colin's heel was right on the edge of the dock and his balance began to waver so he grabbed onto Bradley's arms. "Stop," he hissed.

Bradley laughed and stepped back, pulling Colin off of the edge, letting him find his footing. "I didn't actually push you in," he demurred. 

"Might as well have!" Colin said indignantly, not liking the idea of a late night dip in all his clothes.

"You've been gone almost an hour," Bradley said accusingly.

Colin sat down and peered upwards. "And? I wasn't aware I had curfew," he teased.

Bradley glanced upwards and then dropped down next to him. "Well, at least I found you, Katie promised to strangle me if I didn't," he sighed and rubbed at his neck.

Colin laughed. Comfortable in the silence that followed, no longer anxious by Bradley's proximity, though he was aware of every little shift he made, the touch of his knee. 

"I didn't see your father today, was he working?" Bradley asked. 

Colin was surprised by the question but did not betray his reaction. He didn't like breaching the subject, but Bradley was unassuming in tone. "Never met him," he said, follwing a spiral of stars with his eyes.

Bradley looked at him, eyes soft, nodding. "My mother died when I was born."

Colin looked at Bradley, sympathetic and understanding. Neither uttered apologies or meaningless condolences, merely shared in the moment knowledge of not being alone, sharing in the mutual circumstances. Colin felt an intimacy in the moment, in Bradley's gaze and felt his chest grow tight. 

"You're not such a prat after all," Colin said with a small smile, timid as he voiced his thoughts aloud. 

"You're not as stupid as you look either," Bradley answered just as quietly. 

For good measure, Colin elbowed Bradley and mumbled: "prat." 

Bradley cocked an eyebrow. "I can still push you in."

Colin raised his hands in defeat. "I'd prefer it if you didn't." He stood up and sighed. "Let's go?" Bradley looking unwilling to leave, though Colin could not tell whether or not it was him projecting his own thoughts onto Bradley or simply the play of the pale moonlight on his features. Regardless, he could hear Bradley's step echoing his own. 

"Check it out," Bradley said and yanked him back by the collar.

Their shoulders brushed together and the wind had picked up, but they were standing close and it was warm. Colin's gaze followed Bradley's finger up to sky. Up to where he was pointing stars were falling.


	8. A Wistful Look, A Brief Touch

They walked into the camp side by side and Colin self-consciously stepped away from Bradley when he felt the eyes of onlookers watching him. People were curious but ultimately indifferent, especially when someone brought out another cooler with beer. Colin sought out Katie in the crowd but found himself looking at Vivian instead. The intensity of her gaze made him turn away in fear and he stuffed his hands into his pockets, visibly shrinking. Katie waved to him from their tent and he smiled, relieved.

"You want a beer?" Bradley asked.

"Thanks," Colin nodded and made his way to Katie, who embraced him warmly. "Are you drunk?" he asked incredulously, but she only giggled and shushed him.

Katie patted his head, running her fingers by his ear as they sat down. "Bradley found you!" she cried happily. "I'm so glad you're friends. You're so cute together," she sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "It's been so long..." she mumbled, slurring the last words into unintelligibility.

Colin stared at her. "What? Been so long since what?"

"And no offense, but you're not exactly outstandingly noticeable," she said, smiling. "But he sees you. They all wonder at it, look at them, watching him. Why you? But hey, where's the music?"

Colin stared at her hard, mind working frantically, wishing she was sober and more inclined to give him answers, not questions. Colin frowned.  _He sees you._

A sharp sting at his neck made him jerk and cry out. He looked up and Bradley smirked at him, holding out a cold beer. He snatched it from his fingers and averted his gaze, uncomfortable with his presence after Katie's words.

"They'll talk," Katie said offhandedly as Bradley sat down.

"I know," Bradley answered calmly "they always do."

Colin sat in between them and sipped on his beer silently. It felt like something of grave importance was being decided, but without care of his input, near him but yet out of his reach.

"The look on people's face when they find out," she giggled.

Colin choked on his beer.

"I'm not gay," Bradley sighed, as though the subject had come up before and he was tired of repeating himself.

Colin sank down in his seat, mortified by the conversation. He shot Katie an incredulous look. How could she just - ? And Bradley! So calm. Colin dug his chin into his chest, hoping he could make himself small enough so he wouldn't be seen, maybe implode. Neither Katie nor Bradley were paying attention to him and he considered leaving, frankly getting away was first and foremost on his mind.

"Music's not playing," he commented, voice breaking under the strain of his discomfort.

"No," Katie echoed "but it should be." She hopped up, winked at them and went around the fire to the stereo. When she turned it on people sprang up and started dancing as if they had all just been waiting for someone to start the tunes. Colin watched so that he wouldn't be tempted to look at the figure seated next to him, impossibly close in his peripheral view, impossible calm, which gave Colin even more cause to be anxious. Gwen was dancing with Lancelot and Katie with one of Bradley's friends, her curly hair bouncing as he twirled her.

His heart was still thrumming in his chest. Colin took a breath and risked a glance at Bradley. The blond either ignored him or took no notice of his attention and allowed Colin to drag his gaze down his profile. Colin could admit to himself that Bradley intrigued him. For all his teasing and downright frustrating words, Colin met him each time, head to head, exhilarated by the challenge. He realized now that from the very beginning it had been a game, a way to gauge one another, to poke and prod, see how far they could take the jokes, until finally...

"I can hear your heart beating from here," Bradley whispered conspiratorially.

Colin sat up, the pounding in his ears sharper. Between the clinking of bottles, laughter and music, there was no doubt that Bradley could not hear the hammering in chest, but his voice made Colin flush. Of course. Of course, of course. Bradley leaned in as the stereo turned up and Colin's throat constricted.

"I'll see you tomorrow," the blond said, paused to look at Colin's lips and then stood. He didn't look back as he walked away, grabbed Vivian's arm as he passed and pulled her up to dance. She balked, surprised and then took his hand, moving in close. She pressed herself up against him, her breasts squeezing together, her hands on his arms. Her fingers moved obscenely down his body and as she turned, her backside pushed into his groin. Bradley's hands were on her hips, sending them both into a mutual rhythm.

Colin was entranced by the movement of Bradley's hips and his lips parted in a silent gasp when Bradley locked a smoldering gaze on him. Colin told himself to look away but his eyes were tethered to Bradley's. The fire blistered as someone added more wood and the blaze lit Bradley's face, added a flash to his eye, a seductive glow to his lips as he smiled. It was unquestionable in his mind right then, how much he wanted those lips on his, how he longed for Bradley's fingers to trail his skin, curling around his wrists. Bradley's fingers moved down Vivian's body onto her thighs, as if he had read Colin's thoughts. Colin implored Bradley with his eyes. Look away, look away, for the love of God. The blond pushed himself flush against the girl and bit his bottom lip, dragging his teeth along the bottom sinfully. Colin sucked in a breath, hardly able to restrain a groan.

He surged up and winded his way through the pulsing throng of people until his fingers found Katie's hand. He cocked an eyebrow at her and she twirled into his arms, laughing. Perhaps it was the beer, perhaps Bradley that made him daring, but he danced without reserve, moving against Katie with ease, actually enjoying himself. Colin let his eyes slip over to Bradley and they smirked at each other, bodies pumping in time with every beat. The flames cast moving shadows onto the tents, the ground, the trees, a spiraling, dizzying mess of warm hues.

Colin woke up back to back with Katie. He opened his eyes and then squeezed them shut from the pain in his head and sat up with a groan, the pressure in his bladder insistent.

"Morning," Katie mumbled sleepily.

He leaned over and brushed her hair out of her face. Cursing silently, he crawled to the entrance, shrugged on a sweater and climbed out. The sun was just peeking up over the horizon, warming his face against the chill of the morning air. He grabbed a water bottle and toothbrush and headed off into the woods silently to brush his teeth and wash up.

The dying crackle of the fire mingled with the sweet trill of singing birds met his ears when he came back. The ground was littered with empty beer bottles and scattered food. He briefly though about the numerous hazards this presented and belched. Colin spied a lone figure sitting on a log by the fire and after dropping his toiletries into the tent, ambled over to him.

"Hey," he greeted and sat down on the log beside him.

"Colin," the tanned man greeted, his brown eyes gentle and welcoming.

"Mhm," Colin hummed and extended his hands to the warmth, fingers spread apart. "Lancelot," he said with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I've only ever heard..."

The man chuckled. "Santiago," he corrected. "Lancelot is my nickname. I'm pretty good with fencing," he explained.

They chatted quietly as people began to drag themselves out of their tents, groggy and squinting against the sunlight. Colin wondered if there were enough pills to go around as there had been alcohol. The sun was higher now, its rays penetrating through the trees that enclosed the camping grounds. Colin unzipped his sweater. He asked if he could continue calling Santiago 'Lancelot' because it seemed fitting. He could.

The sun held strong throughout the morning, the sky cloudless and though the water had not warmed through, people changed into swimsuits and descended to the river. Gwen found them and Colin eyed the large shirt she was sporting, clearly a man's. She sat down next to Lancelot and smiled at them both. Lancelot made them coffee and Katie came out quickly, her nose in the air following the scent. Swimming was out of the question once they heard the screams of the people who had gone into the icy stream, so they stayed by the fire, talking until Katie suggested they go or a hike. After breakfast they packed up and headed into the forest, Colin leading them along the trail he had found the night before. They chanced upon a deer and both Katie and Gwen squealed, scaring it away. Lancelot rolled his eyes and elbowed Colin, but Colin had been just as transfixed as the girls and pouted when the deer had run off. They hiked for two hours and challenged each other to climb a ridge, which Lancelot managed with Katie. When they got back, a large barbecue was fired up and generous coolers full of meat were being pulled forward.

Colin's head had cleared with the walk and he began to recall the previous night. Some memories seemed impossible to him, perhaps daydreams that had merely felt real, alcohol induced fantasies, but he knew it had happened, could still hear Bradley's voice.  _I can hear your heart beating._ His whole chest seemed to flutter and he briefly pressed his palm to his stomach, holding back a chuckle. A system was established for dinner and everyone worked surprisingly well together, handing out the food and making sure everyone had something. Colin prided himself on the few vegetables brought along and waved a baby carrot in Katie's face when she laughed at him. She had taken to poking him with celery and he bit off a piece when it began to tire him.

Nightfall was quick and the fire quickly kindled to combat the chill. Everyone was plump with food, relaxed and quiet. One of Bradley's friends handed out thin tree branches and marshmallows were pinned on the tips. Colin watched him make the rounds, smiling brightly at everyone. People who would rarely cross paths in school sat together as friends and Colin realized that his first impressions were unfairly critical and simple. This was a community. Colin burned his marshmallow to a crisp, having been distracted by Katie dragging a sticky finger down his cheek. He protested against the assault, but his smile belied his disapproval.

Bradley walked by then and stopped in front of him. Colin looked up, having not seen or spoken to him for the entire day and started to say hello when Bradley leaned down. Colin's eyes widened when he felt Bradley's thumb against his cheek, following the line of sweetness Katie had left. His eyes followed Bradley's thumb to his lips up to his eyes. Bradley winked at him and left him, mouth gaping, to join his friends and a cold beer.

Katie laughed and popped a warm marshmallow into her mouth, her dark curls bouncing gently. Gwen looked mildly shocked and tilted her head at Colin and then looked up at Lancelot questioningly. Colin ignored all of them and managed to close his mouth. He licked his hand and rubbed his cheek viciously. Another stunt like that and he wouldn't be able to help himself. "I need a drink," he mumbled.

"What you need," Katie said slowly, dropping her eyes down to his waist "is some privacy."

Colin looked down and weakly cried out, dropping a hand to the front of his jeans. The colour of his cheeks threatened to match the red of the flames. "This isn't funny," he hissed, looking from side to side frantically.

Katie stood up and came up to him, putting both hands on his shoulders. She leaned in close, staring into his eyes seriously. "Colin, I will get Bradley for you."

"I genuinely hate you right now," Colin groaned. Katie merely smiled at him and then sharply pushed his hand away from his erection and her fingers, like claws, dug into his flesh through the material. He doubled over with a gasp. When she released him and he straightened up, eyes teary, Katie patted his cheek.

"Get a cold one for me, eh?"


	9. Shadows in the Moon

Colin slept fitfully, his dreams torturous, compensating for the fact that Bradley had barely spoken to him that day. He awoke to a lazy rain, a low lying mist and breathed in the damp air to clear his head. The weather cleared up by midday and people began to climb out of their shelters. The ground remained soggy and squelched underfoot and he sat near the fire to dry his shoes. The rain had warmed the water and Katie suggested they go swimming but Colin declined, preferring to remain dry. The weather seemed to make the day drag on and tire everyone out. It had been decided that they should pool the rest of the food together and finish as much as they could tonight so that they would not have to carry much back with them. Colin helped collect coolers and roll them over to an area covered by a tarp that had been strung up and attached to the trees. Once he was no longer needed he stole an apple and retrieved a book out of his bag, intending to relax for a few hours.

It was clear to him that he liked Bradley and this was by no means a life-altering revelation. Colin always knew his sexuality was not black or white, but this was the first time he felt so strongly about a man. It was probably the chiseled jaw or broad shoulders. No, no. He knew what it was or at least what had so intrigued him. It was the moment Bradley had looked back at him before leaving class, his face so open, so soft, genuine. That moment he knew he had to see it again, had to touch the cheek when those eyes dropped their guard, had to lean in to taste the inviting lips, to know why. He sighed and looked up, closing the book he had barely touched.

He eventually got up, frustrated by his thoughts and sought out Katie and Gwen. He stayed well clear of the riverbank when they swam up to him. Their lips were blue but both refused to get out and he sat on the rocks, talking as they swam. When clouds rolled in and blocked the sun they took his hand and climbed out, running for their towels, shivering. Colin came back with them to the tent and stood undecided by the entrance before Katie's arm grabbed his wrist and pulled him in. He sat with his back to them both as they changed, fiddling with his fingers.

"I think I might fancy Bradley," he said tautly, pushing his thumbs together. Katie's laugh rang in his ears and he spun around. "What?"

She shrugged on her shirt, looked at Gwen and shook her head and then crawled forward, taking Colin's face between her hands. "My love, this isn't news."

Gwen nodded and sighed. "You've not been secretive about it."

Colin frowned, glancing between them. They smiled at him sadly, as though they had to educate him about his own feelings. He blushed. "He picked me up four hours early," he mumbled. "Four."

"Oh, I know. That little scene in the garage, I wish I'd been there to see your face," Katie giggled and pinched his cheek.

"He told you?" Colin asked, aghast. "What did he say?"

"Colin, I'm freezing, you don't want gossip you want me to tell you whether or not he feels the same," she said as she brushed through her hair with her fingers.

Colin waited but she merely winked at him before brushing past him and slipping outside. He turned to Gwen hopefully but she put a finger to her lips and laughed as she followed Katie out, briefly patting his shoulder.

Colin went out after them and grabbed them both beers, a bottle of water for himself and then managed to snatch a bag of chips that had not yet been opened. He had hoped either Katie or Gwen might be interested in continuing the conversation but neither of them mentioned Bradley again. Regardless, the afternoon proved to be amusing. They ate heartily and sat by the fire. Colin listened to the girls point out people in the camp and tell him the juiciest gossip; he had pretended not to be interested but it was difficult to ignore some of the stories. Katie stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm going to grab some tea," she said and held her hand out to Gwen. "By the way, Colin, don't ask me questions you already know the answer to." 

Colin intended to reply but bit back his words, smiling instead. He nodded at her as she left and shook his head at Gwen when she turned back to send him a thumbs up. Nothing passed by Katie. He sat back into his chair and shook his head, bringing his hand up to his mouth to keep himself from grinning. The wind cooled his cheeks and he breathed it in to calm himself. Katie's words were uplifting and he couldn't help himself from searching the crowd for Bradley, but he couldn't find him. Colin chewed on his lip. He hadn't spoken to Bradley all day, or rather Bradley hadn't spoken to him. He rubbed at his eyes, stinging because the wind was pushing smoke from the fire into his face. He took his and Katie's chair, moving them out of the way. He sighed and turned his head up, discerning the stars past the smoke, he stretched his arm out. Warm fingers curled around his wrist and he was jerked forward. Without objection he followed behind Bradley, his pulse speeding under the tight grip. It was dark in the forest and he tripped over stones and bushes. Before long they were walking along the dock he had found the other day and Bradley still hadn't uttered a word—which would be more disconcerting if not for the lazy circles his thumb was tracing on Colin's wrist. The silence made him anxious, especially as Bradley came to a stop and his hand came up to his neck instead. 

Colin looked up warily into Bradley's eyes. Bradley's face was shaded by the night, the only light coming from the moon just barely letting him make out the lines of his face. He breathed in shakily when Bradley's fingers took a hold of his hips, steadying him from swaying. 

"Now I can definitely hear your heart beating," Bradley murmured and lifted a hand to Colin's chest, slipping under the sweater, feeling the rapid thumping underneath the thin fabric of his shirt. He smiled and chuckled, the tremor in his voice audible and telling. 

"Prat," Colin whispered, closing his eyes, Bradley's breath soft against his face. He was baffled by the situation and yet surprinsingly at ease with Bradley's touch, his palm against his chest. He hesitantly placed his hands on Bradley's arms and opened his eyes, glancing down at Bradley's lips, so close. 

"There's something about you Colin, I can't quite put my finger on it."

Colin might have answered him, but Bradley was just so close, touching him, handsome face just hovering within reach, and really, what else could he have done? He leaned forward, wanting, needing to press their lips together.

Bradley pulled back, grinning as Colin let out a whine. He brought the hand that was placed over Colin's heart up to his jaw, letting his fingers just barely touch the skin as he moved them up. He brushed through Colin's hair and then rested his palm at the back of his neck. He leaned down slowly and brushed his lips on the corner of Colin's mouth before connecting them softly.

Colin's eyes closed as he leaned into the kiss, his hand snaking up into Bradley's hair, exactly as smooth and silky as he had thought it would be. He wondered at the gentle movement of Bradley's lips as the kiss deepened. He felt Bradley suck on his bottom lip and a strangled groan came up from his throat. He parted his lips obligingly and squeezed his eyes tightly when he felt the breach of Bradley's tongue. The fabric of Bradley's sweater bunched in his grasp.

Bradley moved his head so he could explore Colin's mouth deeper, running his tongue along the roof back down over his teeth. Colin's tongue was tentative, shy, and Bradley took control, sucking on it, revelling in the reaction.

Colin moaned and then pulled away quickly, hand clasped over his mouth.

Bradley, mouth still open, took slow breaths. He glanced at the hand over Colin's lips and bent his head down, placing a kiss to the top two knuckles. He slipped his tongue between the index and middle finger, just barely grazing the top lip hidden beneath. He slid his tongue sideways and took Colin's finger into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it.

"Br—" Colin gulped. "Bradley, that..." He felt the sting of the air briefly on his skin before the warmth of Bradley's mouth enclosed it again. He pulled his finger out forcefully, hardly thinking and moved forward to kiss the blond again, licking his bottom lip. Bradley unzipped Colin's sweater. He let his hand find its way under the t-shirt and slither upwards until his thumb brushed against a hard nipple.

Colin broke their kiss and gasped, dropping his head onto Bradley's shoulder, hands gripping his forearms. Bradley pinched his nipple between two fingers and his knees buckled. He gasped into Bradley's sweater and bit down on the material, shaking, pressing himself closer. "We shouldn't," he panted, questioning the sincerity of his voice. 

Bradley nuzzled his neck, warm breath ghosting down, making him shiver. "Shouldn't what?" Bradley asked innocently and tweaked Colin's nipple harder. Colin arched into him, biting his lip lest another moan escape him. His arms fell to his sides and his sweater dropped to the ground. Bradley's free hand was cupping his backside.

Colin felt Bradley's chest with his fingers, lightly touching his abdomen, the shape of his abs still clear through the material of his shirt, before travelling down to the waistband of his jeans, hooking a finger through one of the belt loops. He stared at the side of Bradley's neck where his head was resting. He studied Bradley's Adam's apple in the dark and turned his head, pressing a light kiss there as Bradley swallowed, feeling it move. He pressed himself flush against the blond, grinding their erections together and thrilled as their groans combined in the air.

Bradley squeezed Colin's ass, pushing them ever closer. Colin kissed the side of his neck and with both hands on his hips bucked against him. Bradley hissed at the friction and bit down on the top of Colin's ear, licking the helix.

With his heart in his throat, unable to breathe, Colin unfastened the front of Bradley's pants. He pushed them down, feeling Bradley's muscular thighs. Then, with a trembling exhalation he dropped to his knees, face burning, hands shaking. 

His hands stilled on Bradley's thighs, his eyes fluttering to a close when Bradley's fingers brushed through his hair, lightly tugging on the strands. 

"You don't have to," Bradley assured him gently, though his eyes were ardent, wanting him to.

Colin pulled Bradley's boxers down, sucking in a ragged breath at the sight of him. He froze to the spot, heart lurching. His mind was haze, but his member, fully hard, reacted to the sight with a dull throb. He wrapped a hand around the base of Bradley's cock, exhaling as Bradley inhaled. He applied some pressure and stroked him, watching his face. Bradley eyes were heavy lidded and his lips parted. His chest rose and fell unevenly. Colin continued stroking him, experimenting with the pressure and the speed of his hand. The blond rolled his hips, strangling a moan in his throat. A bead of sweat slid down the side of his face.

Colin opened his mouth, bringing his lips close to the tip, almost...but he hesitated. He'd never...didn't know...

Bradley guided Colin down, biting his lip as the warmth of Colin's mouth surrounded him. With two hands on Colin's head he moved him at a slow pace, gently bucking forward.

Colin scrunched up his face, tasting Bradley's pre-cum; salty, warm and he felt himself heave. The fleeting thought that it was Bradley, the taste of him in his mouth calmed him, circumvented his reaction. Setting aside the peculiar savour, he put his tongue to use. He sucked on the tip, pressed his tongue flat against the underside of Bradley's cock, swirled his tongue around the sensitive skin. He grunted in pain when Bradley's fingers pulled roughly on his hair. Keeping one hand at the base of his cock to keep Bradley from pushing his head down fully, his lips occupying the rest of the length, his free hand undid his own zipper and he mercifully freed himself; aching and hard.

Setting a satisfying pace, acknowledged with a moan from Bradley, he stroked himself while sucking on the hard organ in his mouth. He gagged once or twice when Bradley pushed himself in too far, almost hitting the back of his throat.

"Colin," Bradley breathed his name huskily and Colin couldn't help but moan, the timbre of his voice vibrating around Bradley's cock.

Their pace quickened and Colin could feel himself getting close. He could hear Bradley panting above him, brokenly voicing enticing sounds, sounds that Colin was responsible for making and damned if that wasn't enough to send him over the edge.

"Fuck, Col—" Bradley's words were cut short by a loud moan. His fingers clenched into a fist in Colin's hair and he thrust into his mouth, waves of pleasure hitting him. 

Bradley's cock was right at the back of his throat, his cum pooling in the back. He could feel his gag reflex react and couldn't breathe. Pulling away he tried to suck in a breath and swallowed harshly, cringing at the taste as the fluid burned down his throat. He fell back, sat on the dock and coughed, breathing in raggedly. He swept a hand across his lips and tucked himself, still semi-hard, back into his jeans. He lay back and despite feeling lightheaded and somewhat ashamed of his actions he let out a loud laugh. A part of him wondered if Bradley had just been looking for a way to get off and seen in him an opportunity, but this held little weight in his mind. His own arousal, that blazed merely by Bradley's proximity shocked him and he shook his head. "A date might have been nice first," he mumbled.

Bradley dropped to the dock, leaning over Colin. He kissed him softly, pressing their lips together, thumb circling his chin. "I like you Colin." His breath slipped past Colin's open lips. "I like you quite a bit actually."

Colin stared at him, brows knit together. "Really?"

Bradley chuckled. "I was hoping for more of a 'I like you too Bradley, you're so hot, and I just can't -'"

Colin put a hand over Bradley's mouth. "That's a horrible imitation of my voice and you think I'd have done that if I didn't?"

Bradley's eyes softened. "First time," Bradley whispered, voice muffled behind Colin's palm. 

"Don't look so smug," Colin said and turned away. He sighed when Bradley's fingers slid underneath his palm and entwined with his. 

Bradley leaned his forehead against Colin's and smiled. "Okay," he whispered against Colin's lips. "Okay." He lay down at Colin's side and put his arms around him, pressing his nose to Colin's cheek.

The action was so surprising that Colin just let himself be held, bewildered. "Bradley," he said softly. Colin shifted awkwardly, curling into Bradley, chin on top of his head. He swallowed nervously, completely stunned by the gentleness in Bradley's touch, the familiarity with which he lay at his side. Colin breathed in his scent, woodsy with a hint of cologne.

"You know," Bradley mumbled into his skin, the corners of his lips perked up "the way you worked me, I'd have thought you'd had some practice."

Colin stilled and then laughed, feeling at ease with the teasing. "I'll take that as a compliment, thank you." Colin sat up.

Bradley raised an eyebrow in question.

"You know? A month ago, I wasn't too fond of you, handsome as you were," he said, glancing at Bradley with a small smile before looking out onto the lake, which shimmered in the moonlight.

"You thought I was handsome?" Bradley echoed.

"No, not at all," Colin chuckled. He would have made a snide comment about Bradley's ego but he could sense that was not where the query was coming from, he was too sincere, much too sincere.

"A month ago," Bradley said as he ran his fingers through Colin's hair "and now?"

Colin glanced at him. "As opposed to when you were merely the arrogantly handsome blond?"

"What about now?" Bradley repeated, leaning over to kiss Colin's arm.

Colin thought for a moment, composing an answer. "Well," he began and paused, eyes moving from Bradley's forehead down to his nose, passing his lips to his chin before focusing back on his eyes, "you're still arrogant, still handsome and still blond." He couldn't help himself and leaned in for another kiss. "I just like you a little more than I did before."

Bradley seemed thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "Let's head back?"

"Not yet," Colin said, cheeks rosy. He reached out and took Bradley's hand.

"Want to keep me all to yourself for a while longer?" Bradley grinned at him.

"Oh, get over yourself," he scoffed, pushing him gently.

Bradley shifted to face the water. "Come here."

Colin shuffled over and sat down between Bradley's legs, leaning against the blond's chest. Bradley wrapped his arms around Colin's waist and placed his chin on his shoulder. They sat in relative silence, save for the chirp of crickets and the croaking of bullfrogs, for what felt like ages. Lights flickered across the narrow river, fireflies appearing and disappearing at random intervals, dancing around each other in the air.

A party was in full swing when they returned and it seemed as though everyone was up and dancing, crowding the campground. Colin glanced with worry at the groups nearest the bonfire and flinched when people would get too close. Tomorrow they'd be heading back to work, to school, to responsibility and it seemed as though the knowledge had instilled in everyone an urge to drink as much as possible and to let go, just for one more night. The remaining beer was being chugged down greedy throats, the buzz of one can not being enough, people looking for that disorientating swirl where the whole world spins and you can't bother with the knowledge that the headache you'll wake up with the next morning will split your skull. Colin took a part in the sloshing, settling down once he felt a slow buzz pierce his head. Bradley drank more, got a bit tipsier, but held back just enough to pretend he was sober.

Colin's thoughts started to wander and as he put the tip of the bottle to his lips he flushed and pulled his head back, shaking away the recollection. Absently, he wondered if the pair of them were anyhow official but as soon as the thought had entered his head, it just as soon left and he snorted. He turned to look at the man beside him and realized that there would be no talk, no wondering about where things stood, if they stood at all. It, whatever "it" was and whatever "it" wanted to be, to become, would take on its own course and Colin was happy just to go along for the ride, enjoy what would come. At least, for now. Because right that moment all he wanted to do was have fun, be with his friends and spend his last night on the trip near Bradley—something of a new occupation of his. He smiled at the thought and subconsciously reached out and placed his hand on Bradley's arm. Bradley put his beer down and stood up, entwining their fingers together.

"Dance?" He grinned unevenly, cheeks tinged pink, eyes hazy from drink.

That was unexpected. "Your friends," Colin began cautiously, not really knowing why he was hesitating.

Bradley scoffed and pulled him forward, pressing their bodies together. He mashed their faces, kissing him sloppily, carelessly and pulled away with a pop.

Colin crinkled his nose and then laughed, wiping his mouth.

"What about my friends?" Bradley looked around him. He threw his arms out and spun in place, eyes searching, challenging. "What about them?"

Colin reached out for Bradley's hand, revelling in the feel of the flesh under his fingertips, wondering for the thousandth time how it had all come to be. "At the least, protect me from Vivian," he muttered and without a second thought, pulled them both into the throng of writhing figures, with skin soaked with exertion but spirits unwaveringly high.

Bradley laughed and held on to Colin's hips, moving him to the rhythm of the music and pulling him in close. He kissed him hungrily, sucking in a breath and then letting it out in a groan. Colin's laughter only inciting him more, pushing him closer to him, teeth clashing, lips bruising, swelling. A high pitched squeal made them break apart and Katie collided with his shoulder, holding on to his neck for support. With a grin she grabbed them both and pulled them through the crowd until they were in the centre of a ring of dancers, received with delighted, drunken cries of welcome. It was clumsy and ridiculous; feet tripping over each other, arms flailing, bumping into one another, just trying to keep from falling on your ass and being the recipient of a long bout of laughter.

When they finally went to sleep, bone-tired and exhausted in the best way possible, it was hours past midnight. There were bodies passed out on the floor, a tangle of limbs like tree roots crisscrossing on the ground, treacherously laid out, inviting you to trip and fall. Legs and arms, at times both, protruded from tent entrances, telltale signs of those who had crawled through and given up halfway, content to just drop and finally close their heavy eyes. Not many had bothered to find their proper tents, focus hard to call on and even harder to hold on to—they had ended up in the closest ones that they found, a soft pillow was a soft pillow. Colin had managed to find his own tent, though bleary eyed and dizzy and he dragged Katie along, fingers locked with Gwen, who dug her nails into Lancelot's arm. Hardly able to keep himself upright, he managed one last burst of consciousness and hustled them in, grabbing Bradley's by the shoulder and shoving him head first into the tent before following them all in and collapsing. They fell into a heap, each trying to make room, pushing and elbowing their way into a comfortable position.

Colin had snuggled up against Bradley, sighing into his neck. Each and every curve of Bradley's body he matched with his own and he smiled into Bradley's skin, drunkenly trying to murmur something but slurring his speech into incoherent mumbling. His breathing evened out as he drifted off, his arms and legs warmed by their proximity. Half conscious, he felt a faint pressure on his forehead right before he slipped into his dreams. His last thought was of wanting to open his eyes in the morning to see Bradley's face inches from his own.


	10. A Moments Rest

Colin fell asleep on the way home, seated to Bradley's left, window rolled down halfway to let the breeze ruffle the top of his head before passing back to wash over the faces of Katie and Gwen, heads pressed together, chatting quietly because Bradley had threatened to hurl something back there if they woke Colin. To this threat they had giggled and cooed about how cute he was and Colin pretended not to hear, but sleep, embarrassed and yet warmed. It wasn't a long drive, somehow seeming quicker on the way home and when Colin awoke he was alone in the car with Bradley. He frowned at the familiar streets blurring past, feeling as though every mile closer meant that much less time with Bradley. The thought was absurd since he'd be seeing Bradley at school, but Colin didn't want the drive to end, not just yet.

"Hey, we're almost at yours," Bradley said, glancing at him with a smile.

The sun was low on the horizon, the last fiery struggle before nightfall and Colin glanced at the clock and then out the window. The silence in the car was comfortable and Colin felt at ease in Bradley's presence. They turned onto his street and he sighed, eager to hop into the shower and wash away the dirt that had no doubt accumulated on his skin after the weekend. Colin smiled.

"What are you smiling like an idiot for?" Bradley's teased.

Colin turned to him and shook his head, biting back a wider grin. They pulled into the driveway then and just as he opened the car door the outdoor pot lights came on and the front door flew open. He had his arms out, ready and his mum hugged him tight.

"Welcome home," Hunith whispered into his ear and pulled back, holding him at arm's length, eyes raking over his figure, making sure he was still in one piece.

Colin rolled his eyes and smiled. "I'm alright."

All in check, she turned and pivoted, eyes on the drivers door but Bradley came around the back, stepping around the trunk, hauling Colin's things.

"Could have asked me to help," Colin muttered and snatched his bag.

"Bradley, come on in, I'll put the kettle on and grab your clothes." There was no room for argument, not when she had already turned her back and retreated into the house. Bradley grinned and Colin shrugged his shoulders. With bags abandoned by the front door and muddy shoes left unceremoniously on the welcome mat, the three of them were at the kitchen table drinking tea from little white teacups as if they had never left from that spot since Friday. Hunith asked about the trip, questions directed at Bradley mostly. Colin didn't mind and silently drank his tea. Bradley told her about the site, the water, the people, and how Colin had left for over and hour and Bradley had to go and find him, the last of which earned him a knowing roll of the eyes. Bradley had made the trip sound like a relaxing little vacation where everyone sat around the campfire and told stories, quietly of course, without drinking or throwing up afterwards, none of that. At least it put his mother to rest.

"The clothes are on your bed Colin," Hunith said as she gathered the cups in her arms, carrying them to the sink.

Upstairs, Bradley collected his things. He rubbed at his eye absently.

"You look tired," Colin commented, the tender note in his voice surprising to his ears.

"Yeah, I kind of am," Bradley sighed and put his clothes down again, sitting down on the bed next to them.

"Go home and sleep," Colin offered and after considering himself for a moment, sat down beside Bradley, close enough that their knees touched. Bradley sighed again, but not from fatigue and the sound of it squeezed Colin's heart.

"Not yet," he said softly and placed his head on Colin's shoulder, eyes closed.

"Want to keep me all to yourself a while longer?" Colin smiled gently at the memory. Bradley snorted.

"Get over yourself," he said between yawns.

He fell asleep and Colin lay him down on the bed, not bothering with any blankets because he was fully clothed. Pausing, he stared down at Bradley and gently brushed the hair out of his face. Bradley took up much of his bed and he absently wondered if it wouldn't be better to get a bigger one. Straightening up, Colin frowned, electing to ignore his brain and he tiptoed out of the room and rejoined his mum in the kitchen.

"He's tired," he said to her curious gaze and sat down at the table, allowing himself a small smile, hoping it wasn't too telling."Fell asleep."

His mum sat down and, placing her chin over her locked fingers, looked at her son closely. A motherly look, one of a soft nature with gentle eyes, subtle smile and hint of worry, because to her she would always see her child. With Hunith this was especially true, being a single mother had never been easy and even as Colin grew into a stable, self-sufficient, young man, she could never completely forget the little boy she had raised, even at the risk of treating him like child at times. His father was a strong, level headed man and with his influence out of their lives, Hunith had worried that without a hard edge Colin would become too easy to hurt and she knew that she couldn't protect him forever, no matter how much she wanted to.

Colin glanced up at his mum and realized that she knew, to some unknown extent, that he was a little bit more than passively interested in Bradley. She had always known these things. When he was young he happened upon his mum sat in the living room of their apartment, stroking a thumb over an old photograph, eyes downcast and moist. The only time he'd ever seen her cry over _him_. It was then, lump in his throat, that he promised himself to always care for her and make sure that she never made that kind of face again. Colin learned to read the signs, to note the dip in stature, the eyes dimming and he tried to fix it, mend it. Hunith had a sister, perhaps a brother, but she had left home at a young age, married and never looked back. As far as Colin was concerned they had always had each other and only each other, any immediate family was just a blurred face in an old, grainy photograph. So Colin knew now, with that one look, that she was silently inviting him to apprise her of his situation. He didn't want to lie to her, nor did he particularly plan to, but some things were better left unsaid. Definitely better left unsaid. He chewed on his cheek, contemplating his options. This didn't feel like a coming out and considering her demeanor, it didn't look like she was about to disown him, so he wasn't nervous. It wasn't so much of an "hey-mom-your-son-is-gay" moment as much as it was just telling her that he was currently interested and having relations with a guy, which he supposed amounted to the same thing. And maybe he'd skip the "relations" part. That could be misinterpreted. Keep it simple. He leaned back with a sigh. "He was such a jerk when we met, good looking, but a complete prat."

"Charming smile," his mother added.

He nodded. "Yeah, he had that going for him."

Hunith watched her son and then pursed her lips in thought. "I never thought that you were gay. You never showed any signs of it."

"Signs?" he laughed. "Would a red flag have gone off had I wanted you to buy me a tight pink shirt?"

She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. "Not like that. If you'd wanted a pink shirt with flowers on it and a tiara I would've bought you them. I just mean that you've never shown an interest in men before." She smiled at him. "Until now, that is."

"Not even if I'd asked for a tutu?"

She shrugged. "If it would have made you happy."

"Honestly, though, I don't have a thing for guys, really. He just-I just-I don't know."

Hunith gave him a long look. "He's very nice."

"You don't have a problem with it?" Colin knew the answer to this question, but he had to hear her say it.

"Colin, I love you for you, not for your sexuality." Her eyes assured him that that was the truth and for good measure she reached out and took his hand. "I just want you to be happy."

And that was the end of the conversation, case closed it seemed because she moved on to ask him about the trip. He told her about Katie, Gwen, Lancelot and Freya and promised her he would introduce her to his friends. They conversed for a bit before she went to bed and Colin settled on the couch. He flipped to the first movie, an old western with a grimacing Clint Eastwood and dozed off to the sounds of a raging gun fight. He came to when the last of the ending credits slid up and the screen went black. Bradley was sitting next to him, fingers tracing random shapes on his arm.

"Sorry for falling asleep." Bradley smiled briefly and retracted his hand.

"You look better. Less tired," Colin mumbled and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, thanks." Bradley patted his knee and stood. "I should get going, my Dad's probably waiting."

Colin stood and walked him to the door, compelled to say something but at a loss for words. "Oh, did you - " he started, but Bradley cut him off.

"I got my clothes. See you tomorrow."

"Good night," Colin called and waved after him as he pulled out of the driveway. He watched until the back lights of Bradley's car disappeared down the street. Colin worried his bottom lip, discomfited by Bradley's exit. Positive he had missed something but too exhausted to think, he sighed and put it out of his mind, annoyed at himself. Upstairs, after he had put away his things and dropped his clothes in the laundry room, he took a much needed shower, brushed his teeth and climbed into bed. His pillow smelled faintly of the woods and he pressed his nose into it, inhaling the scent.


	11. An Old Friend

Colin woke up half an hour an early and lay awake up to the moment his alarm clock blared to life. He dressed, peeked his head into his mother's room and sighed, not looking forward to making his own breakfast. He rummaged through the cupboards and made instant oatmeal with a handful of blueberries thrown in. As he ate, he thought about the weekend, barely able to decide whether or not it had truly happened. He need not have worried for his answer came soon enough.

"Morning," Gwen chirped as Colin neared, her eyes sparkling.

He gave her a pointed look, made nervous by her trembling smile, as though she were holding back a laugh. 

"So," she hummed, rocking back onto her heel and forward again, smile never faltering. 

Colin shook his head. "I have no idea what you're implying." He peered down the street and then back to her. 

"You and Bradley seemed to hit it off. You know, the jerk you didn't like?"

Grinning, Colin popped his brow. "I thought you might have been a little too busy with Santiago to notice what I was up to."

Blushing, Gwen stared at him open-mouthed. With a smile, she nodded. "Guess we both had fun then."

He winked at her and bumped her shoulder playfully. 

Gwen considered Colin for a moment before shaking her head. "I knew you liked him," she said, nodding along to her own words. "I'm surprised he likes you." 

"Thanks," Colin replied, voice flat but with a small smile on his face.

Her eyes widened. "Oh! No, no! I don't mean it like that. I just meant that I wasn't expecting you guys to - "

Colin grinned crookedly and shushed her before she rambled on. "Yeah. Well, you wouldn't be the only one."

When the bus pulled up and they walked down the aisle, eyes followed them, or rather, Colin, with interest. A profound sense of déja vu hit him. He recalled Gwen's words, explaining how little went unknown at Pendragon and he looked around him with growing unease. To distract himself, he leaned into Gwen, dropping his voice. "Has Bradley ever dated anyone?"

Gwen seemed to think for a moment. "Not from the school, no, but he's fooled around with some people," she said with a shrug. Then, patting his leg amiably, said "you'd be the first from school. And a guy no less." 

Colin nodded thoughtfully and tried to straighten up, ensure that everyone knew he had nothing to hide. In an odd way he was fairly proud, knowing that there were more than a few broken-hearted people out there. The bus stopped with a hiss and Colin looked up. 

Vivian stepped up and locked eyes with him, slipping her circular sunglasses to the tip of her nose and holding his eyes for a moment before tipping her head up and heading to her seat. 

Colin looked on innocently, trying not to feel victorious, reminding himself that he had never been in competition with anyone in the first place. Yet, when Vivian sat down and whispered to her friend, who then look over her shoulder at him, Colin felt as though he had a claim to stake. 

Gwen giggled and Colin leaned back with an amused smile. "What about you and Lancelot?" He asked this partially because he was genuinely interested and partially because it was only fair. Gwen told him so much that Colin couldn't understand whether or not the bus ride had been the usual fifteen minutes or an hour, either way he smiled weakly in support. 

Bradley was standing with Katie when they walked up to the stone steps, and Colin wondered on how to greet him. A hug? A kiss? Both seemed forward, even though he'd had the other's cock in his mouth...Undecided, he waved awkwardly and took his place next to him. Katie arched a delicate brow, looking at him as if he were dumb. Gwen stifled a laugh and had to look away. Colin frowned and shrugged, standing by his decision. Quite suddenly, his head was pulled back and warm lips covered his own, briefly but just enough to linger and leave their taste behind. 

"Morning," Bradley whispered, staring down at Colin's widened eyes with a smile. 

Katie burst out laughing. "Colin, you've gone pink. Really, how old are you?" 

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," he chuckled and waved her away, gravitating toward Bradley until they were touching. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out, curious at the unknown number. 

**See you after school!**

Confused, Colin checked the number again but could not place a name to it.

"What is it?" Bradley asked.

"Wrong number, I think," he said, shrugging his shoulders. 

By the time he had biology, Colin had entirely forgotten about the text message. They were reviewing the respiratory system and Colin zoned in and out, having already learned the material thoroughly. Twice he had caught Bradley looking at him and they smiled at each other. He had thought they were being fairly secretive until Gwen poked him and rolled his eyes. 

Halfway through the class Gaius called him down and told him to go to the gym office. He took the room number down and slipped out of the class. The secretary waved at him as he passed and he smiled at her. It took him some time to find the office; Pendragon could seem a labyrinth at times. When he did find it, he knocked twice. 

"Come in." 

The voice was soft and pleasant, though muffled by the door and Colin stepped in, his eyes widening. The man sitting at the desk before him had scruffy dark blond hair which splayed outwards near his ears and fell down in thick strands just over his eyebrows; he had dark blue eyes and a squared jaw, his age was hard to tell. What made Colin still was the right side of his face, the skin there looked melted, as if someone had held his cheek over an open flame or had poured acid on him. The disfigurement ran down to his neck, like melted wax.

Colin was silent for a long time and then blinked furiously, realizing how rude he was being. "Uh," he cleared his throat "I'm Colin Morgan. I was told to come here."

The man gazed at him blankly and then stood up with a small smile. "Edwin Rhind," he said and extended his hand "you may call me Edwin."

Colin shook his hand, feeling awfully rude for staring. He tried to focus on Edwin's eyes and not let his gaze wander down the side of the man's face. 

"Don't worry about that," Edwin said, waving his hand in the air. "It can only be expected. Please, have a seat."

Colin sat down in the chair across from him and glanced at the room. It was dimly lit and with no windows seemed cavern like in all respects. The walls were lined with tall shelves full of books, minimizing the space and suffocating it. The far wall was literature and probably personal books that Mr. Rhind read, while the opposite wall was full of books on physical education, the body and muscular therapy. There was a couch of a dark olive green sitting near a table topped with a lamp, the only source of light in the room. The desk that Edwin sat at was mahogany and covered with papers. There was a wilted plant standing in a dark corner of room. Colin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"We were checking your files and noticed that you don't have a physical education credit," Edwin commented, looking up from the files in hand.  He waited for Colin's confirmation. 

"Yes, it wasn't an obligatory class in my school," Colin answered, wondering who "we" was.

"It is in this school." Edwin put down the pages and looked at Colin pointedly. "You're going to have to get the credit. Now, your classes have already been chosen this year and we can't put you in another one, but this is not such an important credit so I'll tell you what we'll do." Edwin laid his hands flat on the table and sighed. "We have many sports teams here at Pendragon and unfortunately they are more or less full, but we have a student leaving soon and his spot on the football team will be available."

Colin gulped. Football? Had this man even seriously looked at him? Coordination was one thing, but the shoving and pushing was another, he'd surely snap in two. Not to mention Bradley was Captain of the team, which seemed to him like an awkward situation. 

Edwin looked him over and seemed to read his mind. "We've got two players on the bench so we'll put one of them on the field, you can be an extra as well and a sort of unofficial water boy."

"Water boy?" Colin echoed.

"Yeah, since you're going to be the new player, consider it your initiation and trust me when I say you'll be getting off easy."

Colin believed him. "So, I don't actually have to play?"

Edwin nodded. "Unless one of our players has an injury or is sick, anything along those lines, you won't have to step in. Even then, as I've said, we've got another on the bench. "

Relieved, Colin managed a smile. "I'll get a credit for being the water boy?"

"Essentially yes. You're to attend all team meetings and receive a team uniform. You will run drills in practice and learn the plays. You'll get a credit after one season."

Colin considered this. He was not at all excited but, he was thankful that he didn't actually have to play in the games and was basically getting a credit without having to take a class. "Alright, sounds reasonable."

"Good. Pick up your uniform here at lunch tomorrow; we practice after school, you'll get the schedule along with the uniform." He stood, signalling the end of their conversation.

Colin stood, thanked him by shaking his hand and left.

As he was walking back to class he decided to circle around in the other direction and explore a little. The halls were quiet during classtime. Colin touched the wallpaper and traced the golden patterns.  His steps echoed against the wood but when he turned a corner, he met plush carpet. At the end of the hall he read the golden plaque by the door and swallowed nervously. _Dean's Office_. He hadn't seen Bradley's father yet and wondered if the man knew about him. He heard a muffled voice from the other side of the door and backed away, hastening down the hall and back to class, absently wondering if the two Pendragon's looked alike. 

After class, Bradley walked him to his locker, which as far as lockers went was no locker at all but more of an elegant wood dresser inlaid into the wall, and enquired about his absence. "I'm on the football team," Colin sighed as he stuffed his bag with folders and his biology textbooks.

Bradley stared at him and smiled, nudging him playfully. "You? On the football team?"

"For all you know I could be a very good player." Colin closed his locker and leaned on it, eyeing Bradley defensively. 

"You're serious?" Bradley questioned, just barely able to contain his shock. 

Colin nodded. "What's with the look?"

"You're not exactly football material, okay? And no offence but you'll be more of liability on the field than an asset."

Colin internally agreed with Bradley, but he couldn't help himself and scoffed. "Appreciate the support."

"I said no offence," Bradley repeated, tone placating. 

"Oh, none taken."

"Well, it doesn't look that way."

"Sorry is this better?" Colin feigned a wide grin before turning sullenly to his locker. At the moment he was more annoyed with himself than Bradley, cursing his childish response. 

Bradley heaved an exasperated sigh. "Look, I'm sorry, but I just can't imagine you playing and I don't see why you were put on the team."

"I'm not even going to play, alright? Happy?" Colin bit his tongue too late and shook his head, wanting to apologize but not trusting himself to actually do so. 

"Hey," Bradley whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder, he smiled crookedly at him, clearly trying to lighten the tone but not knowing how to do so.

The concern in Bradley's face was a slap to his. "Shit," Colin said, sighing. "Sorry, alright?"

Bradley nodded and squeezed his shoulder. He leaned against the wall beside Colin and smiled, cocking an eyebrow. "Didn't know you were so sensitive."

Colin rolled his eyes. "Let's go."

Neither of them could find Katie or Gwen so they walked toward Bradley's car, he'd promised to drive Colin home. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, frowning at the unknown number, the same he'd seen that morning. Perplexed, he checked the message. 

**I see you. Be there in a sec.**

Colin stopped. He glanced around him, then looked around the campus. Nobody seemed to be paying him any specific attention, in fact, no more than the usual looks he received when with Bradley. 

"What's up?" Bradley asked, confused.

"I'm not sure," he answered. He waited a few moments but no one came near them so he shrugged and walked on. As they walked to Bradley's car, a familiar voice called out to him and he froze, flushing. 

"You could have at least called me, Morgan."

Colin whipped around, grinning. The young man standing before him had his arms out, smirking and Colin shook his head. "Will!"

The young men met each other in two large steps and embraced, squeezing one another tightly. When they broke apart they kept close, just within arms reach, both grinning. 

Will had been his best friend ever since they were kids, inseperable since the second grade. And now here he was, looking just as he did since their fourth year, with his long pointed nose, bright, shining eyes, his straight light brown hair and those faint dimples, the ones that could barely be seen, but were nevertheless there whenever he would smile. Just the same as when he'd left, smiling and wishing him the best, the touch of his hand reassuring. And Colin hadn't called him since he'd left!

"I didn't forget you," he quickened to say, squeezing Will's arm apologetically. "It's been busy here." Will ruffled his hair, an action that used to annoy him but had become customary, enjoyable. Colin leaned into him and smiled, nostalgic.

"Yeah, don't worry about it."

Bradley cleared his throat.

"Oh!" Colin took a step towards the blond, apologetically smiling and introduced them. "Bradley this is Will."

Will smiled easily and they shook hands. "Ah, so you've managed to make friends." 

Bradley wore a tight lipped smile and stepped close to Colin. "Yeah, of sorts."

They studied each other warily, completely ignoring Colin, who was watching them uneasily.

"Uh," Colin cleared his throat, stepping a pace away from Bradley's looming presence. "What are you doing here?"

Will flashed him an amused look. "Well, my best friend moves and doesn't call or text me even once, so I thought I'd drop by and make sure he was still alive. Common, I'll drive you home."

Colin frowned. "Oh, ehm, actually I..." He turned to Bradley and smiled helplessly, the question hovering at his lips, unspoken but plain in his eyes.

"Don't worry about it," Bradley said. "See you tomorrow."

Colin nodded, briefly touching his arm to thank him. 

Bradley threw a quick glance at Will before leaning forward to kiss Colin. 

Colin stilled and shyly responded, breaking contact quickly. He stared down at the ground and chucked nervously. "Yeah, see you."

Bradley licked his lips. "Nice meeting you, Will." 

Colin could barely discern Will's answer for the pounding in his ears and he winced when Bradley began to whistle. The blond was quite obviously pleased with himself and if not for Will's presence, Colin would have ran over and punched him. 

"So, that would be your," Will began but paused, searching Colin's face as the words hung in the air.

"Boyfriend," Colin finished, though all his instincts had told him to say "friend". 

Will scrutinized him, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "I see."

They walked over to his car in an awkward silence. Colin fiddled passively with his fingers. He glanced at Will several times, expecting him to say something, wanting him to fill the silence that was weighing in the car. Colin thought to either corner him and have it out, so to speak, or completely ignore the subject. He did neither and counted the trees outside as they blurred past, wondering, in the defeaning silence, how a ten minute drive could drag on for so long. 


	12. A Little Something

There was little chance for conversation once they'd pulled into the driveway. From the moment Colin opened the front door and stepped inside Hunith peeked out from the kitchen to greet him and then came barrelling into Will's arms. Colin smiled at the familiarity between them and was pricked by guilt, having completely forgotten to even send Will a text message, hell he'd switched phones and not even bothered to input any old numbers. Out of all of his friends, past and present, William had always been Hunith's favourite. Colin considered him family, close enough anyway, the only person that had ever stuck around.

"Oh, Will!" Hunith shook her head ruefully. "Have you grown taller?"

Will smiled at her. "I might have, I take after my dad after all."

"How nice of you to come down. Come in, come in!" she stepped aside and closed the door. She quickly patted her son's cheek in greeting. "Bradley didn't mind you being whisked away?"

Colin stealthily caught Will's reaction before replying. "He'll drop me off tomorrow, might even go to the movies."

"I'll get dinner going, you boys go catch up."

They still hadn't spoken a word to each other, even as they sat down in Colin's room; Will on the bed and Colin at his desk. Colin's uneasiness had slowly changed into annoyance and with annoyance a hint of defiant anger.

"I can't take this silence anymore," he growled. "Is it because he's a guy?"

Will looked at him blankly. "I don't," he said and hesitated, smiling softly to lighten the mood, "have a problem with you dating a guy that is." He leaned back into a comfortable position. "I was just surprised. I wasn't exactly expecting that after a month, which, by the way I forgive you for, I'd come here and find you a queer. Er, gay...whatever term you want."

Colin relaxed, settling down just as quickly as he'd flared up. "So, things don't change between us?"

Will shook his head. "Never."

Colin stared hard at him, then slowly smiled. "Okay."

"How long have you known...him for?"

"Bradley," Colin corrected. "Ehm, a month or so."

"Oh."

"How have you been?" Colin added quickly.

"All around good. You remember that little brunette from your second period class, the one with the Harry Potter glasses and freckles?"

Colin nodded. How could he forget? She had had a crush on him for the longest time. One-sided.

"She misses you and I can't wait to get back and tell her that you've got a boyfriend. I can take a picture of her reaction if you'd like – should be pretty good."

"Oh, no thanks," Colin laughed. The tension eased between them and Colin moved away from the subject of Bradley to keep it that way, focusing instead on the school, Gwen and Katie and the camping trip. Will listened and laughed, clearly pleased that Colin had managed to make friends. It reminded him of when they were kids, sitting on Will's single bed and swapping stories, though really, nothing they did happened outside of each other. Eventually, Hunith called them down and they descended in an easy silence, butting each other's shoulders as they came through the door.

Hunith had made a sweet and spicy stir-fry with tofu and egg, which Will gobbled up and the conversation largely consisted of Hunith asking Will questions. While she was talking, Colin slid his phone out of his pocket and blindly punched in a text, holding it in his lap. When he checked to see if it was correctly spelled, his heart sped up.

_Miss you._

He closed his phone without sending it. I'm so stupid, he thought, and forked a tofu cube glazed with soy sauce.

They helped Hunith clean the table and sat down for tea. Will had coffee – black, no sugar, which caused Colin to raise a brow because for as long as he could remember Will had always cringed at the mere smell of it. Colin offered him cream and he declined. Glancing at the clock Colin was surprised to see that it was already a quarter past ten. Too late to finish his homework unless he intended to stay up into the early hours of the morning, so he decided he'd finish in Literature.

"I'll drop by next weekend if I've got the time, I know my mum wants to see you," Will said to Hunith, he gulped down half the mug and shivered.

Hunith took a ginger sip of her tea. "I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to remodel a few of the rooms, I could use the help."

Colin tapped a finger on the table and watched as the liquid in his cup broke into ripples. Easily amused, he missed Will calling him until a finger was poked into his cheek.

"Earth to Colin. I said I'm leaving."

"Already?"

"Yeah, I'd like to get home before twelve."

Hunith and her son stood to see Will to the door. Hunith hugged him and told him not to be a stranger. Colin followed Will out and joined him on the porch steps.

Eyeing the pack of cigarettes in Will's hand, he scoffed. "Coffee and cigarettes? What did I miss?"

"Nothing much." Will bent his head and lit his cigarette, sucking in greedily before letting the smoke escape through his nose. "So, what's it like?"

"What?" Looking over at Will, he furrowed his brows.

"Letting go," Will said, his voice as soft as the smoke he blew out from between his lips. "I can see it in your face."

Colin struggled to grasp the meaning behind the words and shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't let go of anything."

"She should have taken you out of there years ago. It was always the city, bearing down on you, no matter how brightly you smiled or how loud you laughed." Will tapped his cigarette and let the ashes scatter in the breeze. "She's like that too, your mum. Better now."

Sighing, Colin leaned back, intending to reply but not being able to. "It's actually like a new life," he said, smiling. "New me."

Will leaned over to him and punched his shoulder, snorting. "Clearly."

"Oi! Thought you said you were alright with that?"

"I am, but that doesn't mean I can't be surprised. We used to stay up until two in the morning talking about girls, or don't you remember?" Will flicked his cigarette on the ground and with the heel of his shoe, dragged it toward him. "Do you like him?"

Colin grinned as he reminisced, not bothering to mention how it had been Will who dominated those conversations as Colin lay half-asleep next to him. "Yes, I like him," he replied. "He's a complete prat, but..."

"Yeah, I get that," Will cut in, laughing. "Don't think he liked me."

Colin flapped his hand in the air and shook his head. "Don't mind that, it's just how he is."

Will clasped Colin on the shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "Well, I'll break his neck if he hurts you."

Colin held back a smile. "He's a football player, you might have a little trouble breaking his neck." Will pulled him in tight, ruffling the back of head.

"Call me once in a while, eh?"

"Promise."

As Will got into his car and pulled out of the driveway, Colin waved at him, feeling a familiar tug of emotion, the same he'd felt when it had been Will waving as Colin had driven away, off to this new life of his. He thought on Will's words and sighed, wondering how he had been so selfish, not even to call text his best friend. Colin thought to go back in but plopped down on the porch instead, craning his neck upward to look at the stars. The stars twinkled at him and he sighed, having forgotten what it was like to breathe in air unpolluted by the city and hear nothing but the breeze. It wasn't really that he had let go of much, he thought, but that it had let him go, let him walk away.

He sat outside until the cold air chilled him and once inside, he quickly showered and brushed his teeth, shooting his mother a quick goodnight through the crack of his door before hopping into bed. The blinds let in a swath of moonlight tinted orange by the glow of the streetlight. Just as his eyes closed, his phone vibrated against the wood of his night table, echoing loudly. He thought it might be Will, but saw the number.

_Goodnight. (Too corny?)_

Colin felt his whole chest swell and caught a chuckle in his throat. He stared at the message. He typed his reply with one thumb, jumping from key to key speedily.

_See you tomorrow. (Yeah, definitely)_

He clicked send and closed his phone and placed it back on his nightstand with a smile. Now, what he had typed earlier had indeed been corny. He wondered what Bradley would have thought if he'd sent it, or better yet, how he would have responded.

He wouldn't have minded, much less doubted, that the reply would have been sarcastic or flippant, but maybe it would have made Bradley pause or his heart skip a beat, maybe it would have done nothing at all or maybe...

Maybe he missed Colin too.


	13. Something New

Colin tapped his foot impatiently, glowering at Gwen as she cackled, head thrown back in mirth. 

"Honestly, it's really not that funny."

"I'm so sorry," she wheezed, wiping a tear away. "I just had a very comical image of you playing on the field. Oh goodness."

Colin crossed his arms and frowned. 

She held her hands up in defeat, stifling the last of her giggles. "I'm done. Really."

Colin stared at her and then sighed, smiling slightly. "Yeah, I suppose I would look like an idiot on the field."

Gwen nodded sympathetically and Colin bit back a defensive retort - he'd at least expected her to put some pretense up that he might be a good player.

"What did Bradley have to say about it?"

"He said I would be a liability and so on and so on, quite upset, really, " Colin replied, shrugging. 

Gwen smiled at him, shaking her head. "He's such a worrier."

"I know."

"By the way, Katie and I are planning to go shopping, girls only type of thing, want to come?"

Colin frowned at her. "Uhm..."

"Gay guys are suppose to be great to shop with!"

"Ask Bradley then," he retorted, not particularly drawn in by the fact that the girls would hang shopping bags on him and expect him to know the difference between pink and fuschia. He was beginnig to let it slide when Gwen called either of them gay, he didn't consider himself as such and he was sure neither did Bradley but labels came part and parcel with the territory and fighting them just seemed like wasted energy. 

"You're right!" Gwen exclaimed happily. "Two gays are better than one – you'll both come."

Colin rolled his eyes, half-smiling at her. "We're not commodities. Besides, that's if I survive football practice." Gwen broke out into another bout of laughter and Colin ignored her for the entire bus ride.

By the time they reached school, Colin had decided he'd greet Bradley properly this time around, though what that meant he was still unsure of; all he knew what that it seemed important to do _something._ They walked to their usual spot by the stone stairs and Colin made eye contact with Bradley as he neared, feeling tingly all over just with a look. He made a straight line for Bradley but a swish of dark hair clouded his vision for a moment and a long fingered hand reached out for him. 

"Me first," Katie chirped and pecked Colin on the cheek, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "I heard you had a visit yesterday. Made someone jealous." She stared straight at Bradley.

The blond mock smiled and pried Katie's arm off Colin to replace it with his own.

Colin leaned into Bradley's frame and craned his head up just enough to place a chaste kiss to Bradley's jaw.

"Morning," Bradley said with a smile.

His cologne was pleasant; sweet but with a sharp edge, something nearly herbal. Colin wanted to bury his face in the crook of his neck and inhale the scent for a while. He was conscious of the fact that he had an audience and refrained. Ideas of a proper greeting fell from mind and he simply reached up to take Bradley's hand. 

"Did Katie hustle you into the mall business?"

Bradley just barely nuzzled the top of his head, the movement so quick that Colin wondered if he'd imagined it. "Yeah, girls only, but we're invited," he replied, smiling.  "Gays are notoriously good shopping company."

"Well my fashion sense is obviously above all of yours, so I guess I'll take pity on you and come along," Bradley commented, eyeing them all with feigned disdain. 

Katie, hand on her hip, challenged him. "Whatever fashion sense you might have, you owe to me." Her smirk doubled his in arrogance, which was quite a feat.

Bradley stared at her and then sighed in resignation. "Can't argue with that."

Their laughs were drowned out by the bell.

In History they were taken back to the twelfth century. The class had been divided into two equal groups – one group studied the period through the eyes of the average serf, while the other half through the eyes of an aristocrat. They had three classes to amass basic information and then have a class discussion. Aredian reminded them repeatedly that he was expecting an in depth analysis, more than the basics. Whatever that meant. 

Colin opened his textbook and started reading up on the less fortunate. His professor hadn't specified on a specific area to study so he jumped from hygiene to education, to housing, then to employment, all briefly. He wrote down two pages of notes by the end of the class, bored out of his mind. When class ended he hurried to the door and walked with Gwen. 

In Literature he slaved over his unfinished homework, giving himself fifteen minutes to listen to lecture. Thankfully, besides catching up on some reading he would have little to do that night. Katie agreed to lend him her notes and he took her notebook, thanking her profusely. Class finished just as he answered the final question of his biology work and he quickly packed up and met Bradley at the door.

He walked out and pointed down the hallway that led to the staircase in the foyer. "I have to go pick up my things."

Bradley quietly groaned. "Alright, let's go."

"You guys come find us when you're done, we'll be outside by the oak," Katie said, winking at Colin before being swallowed up by the sea of students in the hall. 

"Oak?" Colin asked as they worked their way against the current, him at Bradley's shoulder, letting the blond part the crowd as they walked. 

Bradley had a loose grip on the sleeve of his shirt. "Yeah, it's out back, nice shade," he explained.

Colin nodded thoughtfully.

The narrow hallway to the gym office was not nearly as congested as the wider halls and they walked freely beside each other. Colin knocked on the door.

It opened quickly, almost instantaneously. "Ah, Colin," Edwin smiled at him and then his gaze settled on Bradley. "And Bradley," he said, midly surprised. He welcomed them hastily. "Getting to know your teammate? I haven't posted his addition to the team yet."

Bradley merely smiled.

"Here is your uniform and the schedule," Edwin handed Colin a few folded pieces of clothing with a sheet of paper on the top. "I'll let Bradley show you the locker room, pick any you'd like. You might want to try them on to make sure they fit," he said, pointing at the clothes, "and tell me if they don't." 

"Thanks," Colin said with a nod, looking down at the schedule merely to seem interested. The clothes felt light in his hands and this somehow comforted him, made him think that really, all he had to do was kick a ball at practice and pass around water, not make a fool of himself. 

"See ya, coach." Bradley opened the door, waiting for Colin and briefly nodded at Edwin before they left. "Common, I'll show you where to go," he said, leading the way down to the gym and through a heavy door into a clean, spacy room with rows of lockers and hangers lining the walls and three rows of benches in the middle. Further in, Colin could see shower stalls, urinals and sinks. There was a cabinet built into the wall and its shelves were stacked with shampoos, conditioners, soaps and body washes.

But above all else, something stuck out to Colin the most, something strange and borederline unnatural."It smells  _good_  in here," he said, as if it were some sort of trick.

"I'll tell you, I don't know what those custodians do, but you will never smell anything other than mangoes or something tropical in here," Bradley laughed. "Some of the guys are actually bothered by it."

"Right, well, I like it this way." Mangoes, bananas, kiwi, whatever, it was better than sweat, dirt, and anything else guys were prone to smell like after a game on the field.

"Here, you can take the locker across from mine," Bradley said and walked him over to the mentioned spot.

Colin put his stuff inside. "I guess I'll try these on."

"I'll go get you a lock." 

Colin nodded in appreciation. "Thanks." He sighed and dropped his bag on the nearest bench. He took his blazer off and flung it over his pack then shrugged his tie off and unbuttoned his shirt, quickly folding it and putting it beside his bag on the bench. The room was air conditioned and he felt faint goosebumps appear on his skin. He stepped back over to the locker and took an actual look at the schedule.

"We practice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays," Bradley whispered, sliding two arms around Colin's waist, "almost never on weekends." His mouth was right at Colin's ear, his voice low. "Unless we have an important game and need the extra training."

Colin closed his eyes. One of Bradley's hands moved to his neck, fingers stretched to tilt his jaw up. Their lips met softly, without moving. The hand at his jaw found the paper in his hands and he was rid of it. Bradley kissed him slowly. Colin could feel the cold metal of the locker against his skin and wondered when Bradley had turned him around. He grunted into their kiss when he felt Bradley's knee push his legs apart. Bringing his hand up between them he placed it on Bradley's chest and nudged him away.

"We're at school," he mumbled pitifully, forcing his eyes to open and his lips to close.

"So?" Bradley smacked his arm away and closed in on him again, this time with more force.

Their bodies pressed together and Bradley had a fierce grip on the side of his face, holding him in place. Bradley pushed his tongue into Colin's mouth, meeting a second or two of resistance before Colin responded. When the blond finally pulled away for a breath, he left Colin panting.

" _So,_ " Colin continued "this is not the time or place."

Bradley took Colin's arms and raised them above his head, pinning his wrists together with his left hand. "Who's the one taking his clothes off?" He smirked and bent his head down to suck on Colin's slender neck.

"Out of context," Colin gasped, squeezing his eyes shut. He arched into Bradley's figure as the blond worked on him.

Bradley pulled away and studied Colin's neck. "That's going to bruise," he said proudly.

"Great," Colin bit back sarcastically, staring impatiently at the blond. "Are you going to let me go?"

"Want me to?"

He was silent.

Bradley grinned at him and gave him a searing kiss. He brought their foreheads together. "Do you think it would be terribly inappropriate of me to jack you off right now?"

Colin groaned inwardly as Bradley's propped his knee up higher. "Yes," he hissed.

Bradley let go of Colin's arms and toyed with his pants. "Good."

They never did end up meeting Katie and Gwen out by the oak. But at least the clothes fit.


	14. Sure Enough

When they left the locker room, Colin was flushed and had his collar popped to hide the mark on his neck. He absently rubbed at it as they walked, hoping that he could somehow ease the aggressive blush. 

"What class do you have now?"

"Philosophy," Colin answered, more curtly than intended. "Are you sure you can't see it?"

Bradley rolled his eyes. "Well, if you keep tearing at it people will be bound to wonder." He reached up and brought Colin's hand to his side.

"If anyone asks -"

"I sucked on your neck so hard and it felt so good that you were powerless to resist. Got it," Bradley laughed.

Colin elbowed him in the ribs. "Prat," he mumbled, smiling despite himeslf.

"No one is going to notice," Bradley promised, placing a hand on the back of Colin's neck. "I'll see you in Biology." He kissed Colin right above the ear and turned the next corner, out of sight.

Colin stared after him, hand absently wandering back to his neck as he walked to class, finding Katie and sitting down next to her. 

She took one long look at him and then eyed his popped collar. "That doesn't suit you," she stated, her eyes darkening as though he'd insulted her personally; she reached over to fix it and he leaned away. She looked at him questioningly.

"Just trying out new things," he chuckled weakly, sounding just as unconvincing and just as stupid to her as he did to himself.

"Right, but not that," she said impatiently and flattened the upright fold. "Oh." She popped it back. "That answers why we didn't see you two at lunch."

"Yeah..."

She snickered just as Professor Sigan began to speak and squeezed his shoulder. Colin glanced at her and shook his head, grinning. Katie radiated with support, as though she'd known him for years, knew his mind and it stunned Colin to his core. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. 

She winked at him and put her notebook on the table. "So," she said in an undertone, turning her head toward him while keeping an eye on the board Sigan was scribbling on, "have you been to Bradley's yet?"

Colin straightened up, feeling a faint flush on his cheek. He knew she hadn't meant to imply what his brain had interpreted but nonetheless, he shifted uncomfortably. "No."

She hummed and tapped her pen against the desk, taking down a few notes. "After we go shopping, we'll go back there. He'll drive you home afterwards."

Colin chuckled. "Shouldn't you ask him first?"

Katie looked at him as if she couldn't comprehend the question. "Well, of course, but I know he'll agree."

"How long have you two known each other?"

"Forever. He's the annoying brother I never wanted," she joked, squinting at the illegible scribbles Sigan was writing. 

"Though he's older," Colin commented with a hint of playfulness.

"And I'm further mentally developed," she finished, lifting her chin at him and smiling. "I'm close," she started, fixing her eyes on him, "with both of them."

"Uther too?" Colin was surprised.

"Bradley is an only child," she explained, pausing to quickly finish up her notes, "my parents died when I was young and he took me in, they'd known each other for years. We were brought up together, Bradley and I, and Uther's kind of like an uncle to me."

Colin was stunned; though he'd noted the familiarity between the two of them, such as Gwen and Bradley did not have, he didn't think much of it beyond the fact that they had been good friends. But now everything he'd noticed between them seemed coloured by the information. "You live with them?"

"Yes," she said slowly, raising a brow at his shocked impression. "So, Bradley will drive you home tomorrow."

Colin dropped his gaze, wondering if he was getting ahead of himself. "Do you know," he started and paused to clear his throat from the lump that had formed, "do you know if he's told Uther?"

"He hasn't," she replied, regarding him thoughtfully with a hint of an apology lighting her eyes.

Colin chewed on that for a moment and looked up hopefully. "How do you think he will react?"

Katie's smile dropped and she turned from him, chewing on the inside of her cheek. After a long minute she sighed and shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know," she confessed, offering him a sympathetic gaze, "however he reacts, he'll get over it."

"Bradley doesn't talk about him much and when he does..." Colin trailed off as Katie nodded knowingly. Colin had rarely raised the subject with Bradley, somehow getting the impression that it was nearly taboo and all the questions that he had stifled seemed to rise up and bubble in his throat. "Are they close? I mean, good?" To keep himself from seeming too eager he quickly glanced at ther notebook and copied down two lines of notes, barely keeping track of the words.

Katie blew out a harsh breath. "It's complicated and I'm not really sure I'm in a place to tell you," she said. "No offense meant. It's been over ten years and I still can't really describe them, but I know Uther loves him; loves him more than any single thing on this planet." Her features softened, her gaze slipping past Colin. "Uther's like this great big fortress, all moats and thick walls, canons peeking out from the towers, but all for show really, to ward people off so they don't barge in and see he's only hiding a heart just as big as his stupid fortress," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Whatever this is, Bradley's got to do what's right - and damn the consequences." 

Colin didn't know whether to feel reassured or nauseous. He had no plans to meet Uther anytime soon, hell maybe he never would, but to get an idea of what might come seemed prudent. "Thanks." He reached over and took her hand, lightly squeezing her fingers and smiling, trying to release some of the pressure that had built up in his chest. "I don't think I want to go up against that fortress." 

She giggled and linked their fingers.  "Don't worry about it for the time being."  She let his hand go and straightened her notebook, dating the page and underlining it with a swirl at the end. She pursed her lips and slyly glanced at him, eyes dark under her lashes. "You should be focusing on your extra curricular activity today."

Colin threw his hands up, groaning. "You're all laughing but just wait, I'll show you a thing or two." 

Katie grinned at him. "Alright, Gwen and I will cheer you on, then." 

Colin threw her a withering glare. "Great."

To Colin's credit, he wasn't as horrible a player as everyone had prematurely judged - not that he was particularly good either, but then, such low expectations had allowed for him to impress. After being introduced as newest member of the team and consequently receiving very sceptical gazes, as much in wonder at his skill as in wonder at the fact that he was dating the Captain (who assured his teammates he had nothing to do with Colin's placement on the team), they spent ten minutes babying him trough the most basic of their plays.

He wasn't expected to participate in games, but for appearances sake they gave him a defensive position; something Colin had expected to be simple but was quite the hassle, even in practice. The way the players moved the ball around, as if it were passing straight through their feet and not just winding around the heel, amazed him and frustrated him because his defending was useless against their tricks. The players he paired up with barely broke a sweat as they spun around him, wrapping the ball around their legs and at times straight through his open ones. Despite it all, his obvious effort seemed to endear him to the team and they happily gave him pointers, clapping him on the back when he'd quite accidentally kick the ball away from one of the players. 

Colin had felt some hostility at first, superiority for sure, but was relieved that it passed quickly. They acknowledged his energy and hell if he wasn't doing more huffing and puffing in the past hour than he had in his whole life and warmed to his comical seriousness in the undertaking of his role. He strove to garner some respect from them, not necessarily be seen as an equal but not a liability either. The word had rung in his ears since Bradley had said it and pissed him off just enough to make him care. Bradley was studiously ignoring him and staying well clear of him, which at first made Colin want to fling a ball at Bradley's head but had then just made him more eager to show the blond up for his earlier comments; he only realized later that Bradley was just trying to abate the rumours that he'd purposelly gotten Colin put on the team.

Among all the new faces and new names around him, Colin breathed out a sigh of relief at seeing Lancelot jog up to him. He'd whispered some advice into Colin's ear and looked on with a certain worry when Colin tried to follow up on it and went running after the ball.  Colin recognized Bradley's friends from class but couldn't bother with the effort of trying to befriend them, especially since they stayed close to their Captain on the other side of the field. Colin mostly watched as the team ran their plays, who largely focused on coordinating their efforts, goofing off at times to show each other tricks they'd learned. 

At present the goalie was practising aiming the ball down the field from his net to the offensive players. At some point the ball veered off, aiming straight for Colin and he tried to copy what everyone else had done to stop the ball with his chest and it was as close to a success as could be but for the fact that he'd positioned himself too close and instead of catching it with his chest he caught it with his face. His nose erupted in pain and the resulting slap of the ball on his skin echoed in his ears. He felt electric heat travel outward to his cheekbones and raised his fingers to his nose, touching it lightly and hoping it wasn't bleeding.

Bradley had rocketed over and made a quick inspection of his face to make sure nothing was broken. "Idiot!" Bradley growled, fingers digging into his shoulder painfully.

"Who in the hell sticks their face out in the path of a flying ball! Are you completely brain dead?"

 Colin rubbed at his nose and shrugged Bradley off, frowning at now having pain in his shoulder as well as in his face. "I had intended for it to hit my chest," he admonished, snorting and then flinching from the pain.

Lancelot had jogged over, glancing at Bradley with nearly as much worry as he looked at Colin. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Colin assured, waving his hands at both of them. "Continue."

Bradley's brow darkened and Colin was banished off of the field. He tried to argue but Bradley pointed at the bench angrily, daring him to utter a sound. Colin rolled his eyes at the childish treatment and slouched off, being thoughtfully patted on the back by his teammates as he went.

The coach nodded at him as he sat down. "Well done, Morgan."

"Sorry?" Colin thought for a moment that his coach was sarcastically congratulating him on his failed attempt, but there was no note of sarcasm in his voice.

"I think they expected much less from you," Edwin said, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "You've little skill, but I haven't seen them have that much fun in a while."

"The low expectations kind of worked in my favour," Colin admitted, touching his cheek gingerly. "I had fun too."

Edwin gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. "Glad to hear it."

"Colin!" Katie ran over, Gwen at her side. "Oh my god." She reached out to touch his face but decided against it.

"All in one piece."

"I heard the smack from where we were sitting," she said impatiently, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "What the hell was that stunt?"

"Tried to stop the ball," he said, wincing as Gwen held out an ice-pack and then pressed it to his cheek.

"Worked out, did it?" Gwen bent her head in sympathy.

"Clearly," he sighed wearily, now only feeling a dull throb in his swollen face. 

"We saw Bradley chew you out," Gwen mentioned with a slight chuckle. 

"Apparently I'm a brain-dead idiot," Colin mocked, stressing Bradley's accent. 

Katie smiled widely at him. "Isn't he just the cutest when he's worried?"

"His insults were rather heartfelt," he agreed, chuckling despite the pain it caused. "On the bright side, I did manage stop the ball."

Katie stuck her bottom lip out and nodded. "I can see that."

Gwen motioned for him to turn the ice-pack over and when he did the icy sting made him hiss. For the rest of practice he watched Bradley from the bench, continuing to numb his face with the ice but no longer feeling so much of the pain. Bradley's cheeks were red from exertion and his sweat drenched hair stuck to his forehead, more messy than Colin had ever seen it; his leg muscles pulsed as he ran and stood out prominently when he kicked the ball. Colin was entranced by the fluidity of Bradley's movement, the determination in his brow, the skill with which he moved. Colin followed him with his eyes, absently aware that now and again other players passed through his view; his nose and cheeks were searingly numb but he could feel the insistent pulsing of his heart in his throat and in his face; his skin had been pink and now an angry red and a smile stretched across his face as his gaze was met across the field and blue eyes focused on him, so entirely drawn on him that even from a distance he could feel their intensity. Colin's breath hitched and his heart pounded in his ears and surely enough he realized, he was falling in love. 


	15. Reassured

Colin groaned as he sat up, stretching his arms out in front of him and twisting his neck. His muscles screamed in protest as he stood and he hobbled to the bathroom as though his legs were planks of wood. The muted blue surrounding his nose was framed by a deep purple and he gingerly touched his cheeks, sighing. He looked like he'd gotten into a bar fight or walked into a door or better yet, like he'd gotten a soccer ball smashed into his face.

He dressed slowly, fitting his tie loosely around his neck and slung his blazer over his shoulder as he went downstairs. A steaming cup of coffee greeted him at the table and he breathed in the scent with pleasure, pleased to note that his nose could function. "Morning," he said, as he brought the cup up to his lips. 

"Morning, love." Hunith winced when she turned to him and shook her head. "Does it hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Colin assured her, though there was a dull throb echoing in his face. He made himself a bowl of cereal and sat down. "I won't need a ride today."

 "Alright, I'll be out with Eve, so take your keys with you."

"Eve?"

"The one that lives two doors down? Colin, you've met her!" Hunith rolled her eyes and blew out a sharp breath. 

Colin licked a drop of milk off of his spoon and shrugged. "The really tall one with the dyed hair?"  

"Mhm," Hunith hummed and poured herself some tea. "That's the one."

"Have fun. Don't stay out too late," he joked, hugging Hunith tight before he left. It was odd to him that his mom was actually going out, for as long as he could recall she'd had no friends. But it made him happy; made him notice her smiling more, laughing more and perhaps it was the charm of the place but he knew better. It was freedom, it was throwing out half of their things and leaving much else behind, taking only what was necessary and buying the rest. Camelot was like a blank canvas upon which Hunith had redrawn herself and Colin often wondered if this is what she would have been like years ago, before his father had left and she'd taken on two and then three jobs, before the days when he'd have to help her get out of bed and out the door. As he left he could hear her humming in the kitchen and it made him smile as he walked to the bustop, even as Gwen's mouth dropped in horror whe she saw him. 

"It looks horrible!" Gwen exclaimed with a hand at her lips, eyes wide and focused on his face.

"Thank you." Colin scowled and patted his cheek sympathetically. He hoped that others would at least have the grace to pretend not to stare, but the minute he stepped on the bus it was as though it were his first day at school all over again. Colin walked to his seat without looking at anyone and stared out the window in silence. When they got to school, Katie and Bradley had not arrived yet. Gwen had taken out a bottle of foundation and arched her brow, staring at Colin pensively. 

"I'm not putting that on," Colin scoffed, flinching as she brought it nearer to him. 

"It'll make it less obvious," Gwen countered, unscrewing the cap. 

Colin took her wrist and shook his head. "I'd rather it be obvious." 

They were still grappling with each other when Katie walked up, hair bound tight in a high ponytail, dark brown sweater fitted loosely over her frame and thick rimmed glasses perched atop her nose. 

Colin glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see Bradley but Katie had come alone. He smiled at her appearance, noting the hasty swipe of mascara that had left a faint mark on her skin and the lack of gloss on her lips. "Woke up late?" 

Katie glared at him and then sighed. "Is it that obvious?" She ran her fingers through the knots in her hair and pulled the elastic band tight. "Long evening, alright?"

Colin appreciated the fact that she kept quiet about his appearance. "Bradley?"

Katie frowned, shaking her head. "I guess he'll come later." She chewed on her lip and stared at Colin as though hidden in his eyes was the answer to his question. Finally, she folded her arms across her chest, leaned back against the railing and looked away, eyes moving languidly across the lawn. "He told Uther last night. Wasn't planned, just happened." 

Gwen spoke up first and put a hand on Katie's shoulder. "How'd he take it?"

Colin merely stared, feeling a tight knot in his gut begin to form. Katie's next words twisted it harder, making him feel sick. 

"Not well," Katie murmurred, pulling her arms tight around her. "It was bad, real bad."

Her eyes lifted to Colin's and he could hardly swallow for the harsh dryness in his throat. He dug his hands into his pockets and cleared his throat. "Bradley?" he asked again, unable to keep his voice from wavering. When Katie didn't answer he stepped forward and touched her hand, squeezing her fingers. "Tell me." 

Katie looked up at him and took his hand between her own. "Colin..." The school bell tolled and cut off her words. She look apologetic and pulled him in tight, kissing his cheek. "We'll talk later. He'll be alright," she whispered hastily as students crowded around them, making their way to the doors. 

Colin followed Katie and Gwen inside, barely registering the number of people swarming around him. Gwen had to take his hand and lead him to class and all he could think was that it was over, a selfish thought but nonetheless his biggest worry. Uther had told Bradley to end it no doubt and Bradley...  
  
"Colin!" Gwen hissed, pushing him down into his seat. "Would you quit it?"

Turning to her, Colin frowned. "What?"

"Whatever it is that's going on in your head," she explained, her words sharp and low. Gwen had a hold on his wrist and bit her nails into his skin, making him focus on her. "Just wait until you see him alright?"

Colin swallowed his worry and nodded. "Thanks. I'm not good with conflict." He took out his books and sighed, focusing his energy on the teacher. Little by little the minutes passed and he impatiently tapped his pen against the desk when the last few minutes drew to a close. Colin shot up and gathered his things, checking his phone for a message and then shoving it back into his bag. In Literature he was restless and Katie had to continuously elbow him to have him pay attention. He didn't ask her any other questions and she didn't broach the subject. Instead, he doodled on the page in front of him and continuously glanced at the door, hoping Bradley would come in and look up at him and smile . Colin knew that he'd have to be cautious and reassuring, to listen where Bradley wanted to talk and try not to make a fool of himself. 

At lunch, Colin met up with Katie and Gwen and they took him out back, down across the lawn and over the football field where standing alone in an emerald expanse of grass stood towering oak tree. It was a massive monster, with curved branches hovering heavily overhead. Its leaves ranged from a pale green colour to a deep emerald that softened in the sunlight. The whole area under it was a complete umbrella of shadows where groups of people could huddle together to get away from a humid day. The bark was rough and chipped, it had thick creases in it where you could insert a finger, trailing it down until you hit the grass. Colin spotted a few birds nests, probably abandoned at the approaching cold, decorating the top branches, where a thick arm broke off from the main body.

"Why did they leave it here?" he asked. The rest of the campus held newer trees, well kept and fresh, and a few select older ones that were cut and snipped to perfection. But this one, this one stood out. It was mangy and slightly withered, hardly fitting into the atmosphere.

Katie shrugged. "Not sure," she said, placing a hand on the trunk, "guess they wanted to keep something, aside from the building, that was part of the history of this place."

Colin sat down with his back against the trunk, the bumps and coarseness digging into the skin through his jacket. He liked that the oak was an oddity in the place, as non-conforming as he was on his first day of school. He liked that even though the newer trees were more beautiful and their bark smooth to the touch, the oak stood taller and bigger, uglier but wiser, having stood watch over the place for hundreds of years. Colin closed his eyes and focused on the breeze rustling the leaves. He tried to imagine what Bradley was feeling, wondered at Uther's words. _Bad_. Katie had said. And Colin couldn't make it better. 

"Hey." 

Colin's eyes snapped open at the clipped but familiar tone and he looked up. Bradley was staring down at him, half-smiling, hands in his pockets, eyes worn around the edges from lack of sleep. The sight of him made Colin's stomach twist and his fingers clench. He could see Katie and Gwen in his peripheral vision, looking at him, waiting. But he couldn't say a single word so he just let his eyes linger on Bradley's face, noting the faint stubble and dry lips, tired of smiling and drawn tight. Colin slowly stood up and stepped forward but held back, unsure of himself. "Hey," he finally managed to say, voice soft. Bradley's eyes lifted to his and he reached out, catching the sleeve of Bradley's shirt between two fingers.

Katie had come to Bradley's side and wrapped her arms around his waist, propping her chin on his shoulder. "You okay?" 

Bradley silently glanced at her. "If you get off me and stop asking I might be." He looked at Colin and then stepped past him, sitting down where Colin had been sitting. 

Colin looked down at the quiet trio, catching a brief exchange as Gwen popped an eyebrow at Katie who shook her head and took out a waterbottle. He moved his eyes over to Bradley, whose own were closed, and clicked his tongue in annoyance. He plopped down next to the blonde in silence, shuffling over untill their shoulders and legs were touching. When Bradley didn't move away he hesitantly placed his hand on Bradley's arm, slowly trailing it down until his fingers touched Bradley's wrist. It was Bradley who took his hand and Bradley who entwined their fingers and though not a word was spoken between them, it was enough. Colin felt reasurred by the touch, faintly sheepish that he was the one being reassured instead of the other way around but content either way, for Bradley's thumb was lazily circling his skin.

It was only after lunch as they walked back, still hand in hand, that Bradley spoke. And his words made Colin trip up on his own feet and stutter lamely in an effort to respond.  Katie and Gwen had walked up ahead, leaving them together. 

"Do you want to come over today?"

Of all the things Bradley could have said Colin had not expected him to say  _that_. Instead of replying he'd merely continued to walk by his side, wondering what had pushed Bradley to say that. "Yeah," he said, "sure." 

Bradley stopped and turned to Colin and let go of his hand, bringing his fingers up to Colin's face, mindful of the bruise that had blossomed across his nose. Gently, he touched his fingers to Colin's lips and then trailed them up his jaw and into his hair. "Yeah?" 

Colin struggled to keep himself steady, wanting so badly to lean in to kiss Bradley. "If you're sure." 

"I'm sure," Bradley said quietly, leaning in and placing his cheek agaisnt Colin's. 

Colin raised his hand to Bradley's chest, his nervousness dissipating as the steady beat of Bradley's heart pounded into him through his fingers tips. Bradley's voice echoed in his head and Colin's breath caught when Bradley put two arms around him and hugged him. Colin still didn't know whether there were words he was supposed to say, something he should have done instead of letting Bradley reassure him but he could only think of one thing as Bradley hugged him and that was to hold him and let him know that if Bradley was sure then he was too. 


	16. Years in Seconds

"Iron gates check," Colin commented as they drove through opened coal black gates with winding floral patterns. "Long driveway and fancy lamps check," he continued, peering out of his window to see large willow and maple trees on a never ending lawn. The driveway was wide and wound in a smooth curve to a mansion-like house. The car seemed to glide over the cement.

They pulled up to the front and Bradley came to a stop. "Welcome to Pendragon estate," he said absently, though his eyes betrayed a hint of pride.

Colin opened the car door and stepped out. The house towered over him and long stone steps invited him to walk up to a stone portico, accented by two vases with lush greenery overflowing the sides. The front door was made of glass with a stained glass crest cut in the center where a large "P" was printed in old style hand, cornered by a floral finish. The house was lined with hedges, neatly cut just beneath the windows, that extended down the length of the house and around its corners. Colin turned around in a circle, unable to fully comprehend that this was Bradley's house, the place he came home to every night, had breakfast in every morning, where he watched TV and lazed around. It was like something of his history books, a place for aristocracy...and as he came full circle and looked at Bradley he realized that in this town, Bradley Pendragon _was_ aristocracy - the equivalent at least.

The front doors opened and a tall dark haired man clad in a snug suit stepped out into the sun. The man cast an uninterested glance at Colin then looked at Bradley. "Sir," he intoned formally.

Bradley pushed Colin forward and nodded toward him. "Alec, this is Colin."

The man bowed again and put on the spot, Colin awkwardly inclined his head. "Ehm, nice to meet you," he said, smiling politely. He could feel how rigid he was when Bradley put on a hand on his back.

"Common, I'll give you the royal tour," Bradley whispered, pushing Colin along, past Alec and into the hall.

Colin's eyes widened when they stepped inside. Bradley was taking off his jacket and kicking off his shoes and Colin vaguely felt inclined to do the same but for the elaborate surroundings occupying him. Slowly, he took a step forward. All around him seemed an indefinite amount of glossy chestnut coloured wood and pristinely white walls, Victorian couches and plush carpets, candle holders lining the walls and vases with fresh flowers. Colin couldn't decide whether or not the atmosphere was inviting or intimdating for he was anxious, as though he had been snuck in and had no right to be there at all. Bradley was regarding him with an arched brow. Colin focused on him, allowing himself a small reprieve from the overwhelming beauty of the house. "What is it? You don't have to give me a tour you know...we could just go up to your room," he offered, becoming immediately aware of the implication."Ehm..."

"No," Bradley laughed, "I want to show you around." He dropped his hand from Colin's shoulder to his lower back and leaned into his ear, his voice dropping an octave. "But I do appreciate the proposal."

Hasty steps echoed from the hallway to their right and just as Colin lips formed a question an elderly woman stepped into view, her grey hair wound tight in a bun, startingly severe next to her gentle face. She was smiling at him with what seemed like familiarity, though Colin could swear he'd never met her before. Her chocolate coloured eyes were large and inquisitive, dropping down to his shoes and back up to his face in one long sweep. Colin stepped forward to introduce himself but was silenced by the twitch in her grin. 

"Colin, I presume," she said, presenting her hand to him, palm facing down. 

Colin's eyes widened and he shot a quick look at Bradley before taking her hand, bending to place a chaste kiss on it. When he raised his eyes her own seemed to twinkle with amusement. Slightly discomfited by not feeling privy to some sort of information she clearly knew, he offered her a friendly smile and asked: "and you are?" 

"This is Mrs.Bartlett," Bradley answered, walking over to embrace the elderly woman fondly. "Been with us since I was a kid. We'd be lost without her." 

Colin nodded and held back a wide grin as he watched the blond, visibly relaxing in Mrs.Bartlett's company, her very touch seeming to calm him. A note of playfulness had even crept back into Bradley's voice and Colin wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. Part of him wanted Bradley to talk to him about everything that had happened the night before, but at that moment he was content to let it go, as long as Bradley did. 

"I'm going to show Colin around."

Mrs. Bartlett nodded and looked at Bradley pensively before turning to Colin with a small smile. "Pleasure to have met you." 

Before he could reply, Bradley was ushering him through an open doorway and to the dining room. "You too!" he yelled over his shoulder and could just make out her hearty laughter fading down the hall. 

"This is the dining room," Bradley announced grandly, locking his hands behind his back as Colin looked around. "Kitchen," he continued, walking over to a set of closed doors. He opened one and let Colin take a brief peek. 

Colin laughed as Bradley paraded around, pointing out anything that he happened to be passing. The dining room was spacious and warm, smelling of oak and vanilla. The dining table was a dark cherry wood with a thick cut of glass fitted over top. The cabinets around the room were made of the same wood and a dresser of similar make stood housing a collection of china and glinting cutlery. In a smaller room the decor would have bore down on the occupant as though to bury him, such was the bulkiness of the table and chairs. A subtle chandelier hung from the ceiling in the centre of the room, crystals glittering. 

"Wow," he whistled, turning to Bradley. "This is beautiful." 

Shrugging, Bradley pushed him along, back into the hall and through an open archway opposite the door they had gone through. "Family room; but it's for guests, really." 

Colin smiled and plopped down on the couch. "For me? You shouldn't have." The room was smaller than the dining room and the decor was lighter, made up of cotton whites and pale blues with wide windows unburdened of shutters; the couches were a creamy white and the rug a pale brown. The fireplace was framed by light grey stones and accented at the corners with decorative vases and wooden figurines. Colin had only seen rooms like this in magazines; in pictures his mother would point at saying she wanted this or that wall colour. Bradley stepped into view, looking down at him with arched brow; he bowed and held out a hand. Colin slipped his hand into Bradley's and followed him across the room and through another door. They entered what looked like a study, walls hidden behind towering bookshelves. If not for the back wall which was nearly one large window, the room would have nothing but tall shelves and worn hardcover tomes. Colin ran his fingers across the lines of books, briefly glancing at the titles: Chaucer, Hardy, Whitman, Voltaire, Jung. The modern desk by the back wall held up two computer screens and organizers full of folders. The room overlooked the garden where rose bushes and petunias were neatly arranged to the backdrop of maple trees and the sun. 

"My dad's office," Bradley commented with minimal interest, fingering the pages of a book left on the desk. 

"He seems like an educated man," Colin offered, nodding toward the books. 

"Upstairs now?"

"Yeah," Colin nodded, following Bradley back into the foyer and up the stairs, which reminded him of the ones at Pendragon College. Wide at the beginning and then branching off only to curve back and meet a floor above.  At the first landing on the wall hung a gigantic portrait of a woman; her icy blue eyes and golden hair unmistakable and he subconsciously turned to Bradley. Bradley had his mothers face; her eyes and her lips, her brow line and hair. The squared jaw Colin thought must have been Uther's.  "She's beautiful," Colin whispered, feeling deeply reverent of the woman, who though with gentle features was posed so regally that he imagined himself bowing. "What was her name?"

Bradley stared up at the portrait, swallowing a familiar lump in his throat. "Igraine. Let's go," he said curtly, taking Colin by the arm to pull him up the stairs and down the hall. "Katie's room," he pointed out, jerking his head to the left at a closed door. "Guest room, reading room, bathroom, more rooms back there and my room," he spoke in clipped tones, shoving Colin through before closing the door behing them. 

Bradley's room, Colin thought, was twice the size of his. The bed, no doubt king sized, was piled with cushions and a puffy blood red coverlet with golden embroidery. He stared at it longer than necessary, reminded of his accidental proposition earlier. His eyes wandered over to Bradley's desk and the thin laptop sitting on it, the shelf next to the desk was filled with DVD's and CD's. He walked over and tilted his head to read the titles; on the bottom shelf was a row of vinyls and Colin huffed. "Wow, classy," he joked, pulling out a Beatles record gingerly.

Bradley sat down on the bed, eyes trailing down Colin's neck to the crisp collar of his blazer. "You know what the worst part of it was?"

Colin stiffened, catching the low tone in Bradley's voice. A shiver passed through him. Slowly, he placed the vinyl back and stood, unsure of his next move. 

"He was so disappointed," Bradley reflected, clicking his tongue. "Couldn't even look at me." 

Colin hesitated to speak and walked toward Bradley, placing a hand against his cheek to nudge his head up. He looked into Bradley's eyes, aware that he had no answers but aching to communicate with him in some way, he brushed his thumb over Bradley's lips and leaned forward until their foreheads touched. 

Bradley looked up at Colin, strangely calmed by the pressure of Colin's fingers on his skin. He reached up and threaded his fingers in Colin's hair, pulling him down for a kiss. When Colin's knee brushed against his leg he dropped his hand to Colin's jacket, crumpling the material in his fingers before shooting up and switching their positions, shoving Colin onto the bed. With a breathless chuckle he straddled him.

"Bradley," Colin breathed shakily,  pulling away and looking into Bradley's eyes before craning his neck to kiss him. When they broke apart both were breathing hard.  Bradley bit down on his lip and shook his head, making Colin's breath hitch. When Bradley's fingers shrugged his jacket off, Colin sat up to ease the process, lifting his chin so that Bradley could slip his tie off. Bradley was insistent, even frantic as he popped the buttons of Colin's shirt and Colin hesitantly placed his hand over the blond's. Half-smiling, Colin brought Bradley's hand up to his lips and kissed his palm. He wanted to tell Bradley that everything would be alright, that Uther would come around and Bradley had nothing to prove but he was silent, speaking through touch and a gentle kiss. 

Bradley stole a steadying breath and kissed Colin's fingers. He flicked his eyes down to Colin's bare chest and back up to his eyes, intensely blue and completely focused on him. Softly, he brushed his hand against Colin's cheek. "Do you want to?"

Colin smirked and grabbed Bradley's tie, tugging the blond ontop of him. He kissed him and lifted his hips, half-unsure about his forwardness but too thrilled by the feeling to stop. Bradley groaned into his ear and Colin reached between them and undid Bradley's zipper. 

Bradley quickly shrugged Colin's pants off and threw them on the floor, grinning. He crawled off of Colin just long enough to slip out of his pants and take his shirt off. When he moved to place himself over Colin again, he stopped, staring wide-eyed. Colin was lying with his arms stretched above his head, lips partly opened, fair skin flushing the colour of his cheeks. The rise and fall of Colin's chest and the way his hand came down across his stomach made Bradley's throat go dry.  "You look so fucking hot right now."

Colin could feel the blood rush downward and his briefs begin to tent. Bradley only took a second longer to look at him before covering his body, skin warm and smooth. When he felt Bradley's palm slide down to his navel and slip under the band of his briefs he groaned. 

Bradley chuckled and kissed Colin's neck. "You might want to be more quiet."

"Then you might want to keep from -"

"Doing this?" Bradley cut him off and gripped Colin's cock, squeezing gently. Colin's shaky breath ruffled his hair and he raised his head, smile playing on his lips. 

"Yes," Colin hissed, "that." He arched into Bradley's hold.

Bradley took his hand out of Colin's briefs and hooked his fingers on the hem, pulling down slowly and keeping an eye on Colin's face. "We don't have to do this," he murmurred, feeling Colin's body trembling underneath him. 

Colin was silent but intent as he shook his head. He _wanted_ to do this,  he wanted Bradley, all of him, and now. He thought for a moment and then half grinned. His heart almost tumbled out of his throat at his next words, the tone of his voice uneven. "Fuck me."

Bradley's eyes widened. He let go of Colin's briefs and found his hands, flattening them against the bed. "Again." Bradley grinded down when Colin tried to lift his hips. "Say it again."

Colin bit down on his bottom lip, just barely stifling a moan. "Bradley," he breathed, squeezing the hands in his, "fuck me." Bradley let go of his hands so suddenly and grabbed his face so roughly that Colin gasped. In his haste their lips missed each other and Colin painfully knocked his forehead against Bradley's. All the same, he moved his head and found Bradley's lips, fingers sliding into his hair.

They switched between frantic kisses to slow touches and back again, seemingly undecided, wanting touches to linger yet sear each other's skin at the same time. Colin let every kiss Bradley bestowed on him steal away little nervous breaths until he felt himself grow comfortable, even as Bradley pulled his briefs down. When he heard Bradley quietly groan at the sight of him, Colin stilled, embarrassment creeping up. "B...Bradley," Colin stuttered, hand covering his mouth , eyes shut. He shuddered when Bradley's fingers trailed softly along his inner thigh. Bradley was slow, allowing him time to compose himself, but when Bradley fluttered his fingers up his cock he gasped, pulse racing.

Bradley breathed into Colin's ear, sliding his hand under Colin to cup his backside, pressing his finger against the sensitive nub between his cheeks. "Tell me you want it."

Colin squeezed his eyes shut. He sucked in a steadying breath and then slowly parted his legs further, hearing Bradley groan in his ear. If that wasn't answer enough, he didn't know what was.

Bradley barely managed to keep his eye's off of Colin as his lean legs spread. His erection was straining in his boxers. Bradley buried his head in Colin's neck. "Say you want me."

Colin found Bradley's hips and then lowered his hand and stroked him through the fabric of his boxers. He turned his head, nuzzling Bradley's hair. "I want you." God, he would have said anything Bradley wanted him to at this point, just as long as their bodies touched.

Bradley kissed Colin on the mouth,  letting Colin stroke him before taking his boxers off, only breaking the touch of their tongues for a mere moment. He kissed him again, hard, on the mouth and pressed their bodies together. He reached over to open the drawer of his nightstand, retrieving a bottle of lube and a condom. "It's the kind that warms up," he whispered and grinned. "More expensive."

Colin side-glanced the items, distracting himself by shifting his hips so that their erections brushed. But as Bradley opened the bottle and applied a generous amount into his hand Colin felt his throat constrict. He ground his teeth together when Bradley reached his fingers down and coated him with a thick layer of lube, finger gently tracing circles on him. With his free hand, Bradley was rubbing his thigh, kneading the skin with his knuckle. 

Bradley leaned over Colin and kissed him before slipping his finger through the tight ring. Colin gasped, a small cry stuck in his throat and Bradley kissed him gently, calming them both. When he felt Colin's muscles relax he started pumping his finger in and out, focusing hard on keeping himself from being too rough. Stealing a quick breath, he pushed his finger in further and curled it, eliciting a cry from Colin. With a steady hand he pushed a second finger in, apologetically rubbing Colin's thigh when he saw him wince. He worked on him cautiously, patiently waiting for the moment Colin fully relaxed and we he did, Bradley slipped his fingers out and took off his boxers. "How do you want to do this?"

Colin thought for a moment, still tingling from the feeling of Bradley's fingers and turned onto his stomach, mostly to keep Bradley from seeing his face. He felt Bradley lift his hips up, felt heat against his backside, and as Bradley pushed himself in, Colin dug his fingers into the bedsheets and nearly broke his throat from the strain of keeping silent. 

Even though he'd tried to be slow, Bradley heard Colin grunt and cry out, the sound muffled by the sheets. Bradley stopped, finally exhaling. "I..I'm sorry," he quickened to say, hands gentle on Colin's hips, but voice rough and breathless.

Colin was breathing in through flared nostrils, face scrunched up, teeth grinding. His nerves were on fire, the pain so sharp that a single movement felt like it would break him. He opened his eyes only to see the white of his knuckles and the fabric of Bradley's throw clenched in his fingers and squeezed them shut again. "Do it," he grunted. "Please." Colin pushed his hips back and inhaled sharply. 

Bradley hesitated but pushed forward until he was fully sheathed. And when he was, almost all the way to the hilt, he gasped and dug his fingers into Colin's skin. Colin was warm and he was tight and it felt so fucking good. He felt the slender form under his fingers tremble. "Colin..."

Two shaky breaths and Colin answered. "I'm fine." He could feel the pain turn into a searing numbness and when it did, the sensation was something he could deal with. As Bradley was breaching him all he could think was that it wasn't worth it, not a single second of it. Now, he was thinking that having Bradley inside of him was frighteningly wonderful. Sensing Bradley's hesitancy, Colin pushed his bottom up and back. 

Bradley took the hint and thrust his hips forward, gently guiding Colin's to match his rhythm. The pace he set was slow, but when Colin moaned he allowed himself some self-indulgence and thrust faster.

Colin bobbed forward and back as Bradley pumped in and out of him. He could tell the blond was being careful because the pace was very focused. He knew that Bradley was controlling himself. He unclenched one of his hands from the bed and started pumping himself back to an erection. He wanted Bradley to let himself go fully. "Faster," he groaned, thick Irish slipping past his tonge. "Go faster."

Bradley readily obliged, leaning forward and hooking his arms under Colin's to hold him up. Sweat trickled down Colin's back, his own going down his chest. Bradley bent down and sucked in a deep breath. He could hear Colin grunt each time he rammed into him, the groans caught in his throat. When he came, he pressed himself flush against Colin, stilling and then shuddering. Colin tensed under him and then fell forward. Mindful of his weight on Colin's back, Bradley rolled over, making a concentrated effort to take the condom off and chuck it in the bin next to his bed. 

"I..." Colin began and paused, shaking his head. He shited to face Bradley and placed his hand on Bradley's chest. "I think I got your sheets dirty," he muttered.

Bradley burst out laughing and swept Colin's hand up to his lips. Their eyes spoke softly, reflecting the same serene bliss, until Bradley's took on a familiar glint. He smirked and inched closer to Colin until their noses touched. "You're quite vulgar when you're being fucked."

Colin flushed and tried to move away but Bradley caught him and pulled him in close, brushing their lips. 

"I like it."

Colin rolled his eyes and laughed despite himself. Bradley shifted so that they were lying against one another, knees knocking, sweat-slicked skin touching and he didn't say a word. He didn't tell Bradley that he was already beginning to feel sore but he'd also never felt better, didn't mention that though his lanky limbs entwined awkwardly with Bradley's muscled ones he was comfortable. He didn't say anything at all, though thoughts wandered relentlessly in his head. 

It was a short while before Bradley pulled away. "Shower?"

Colin sighed and nodded. "Yeah," he murmurred, lifting his chin and finding Bradley's lips."I should," he mumbled as they kissed. He rolled over with a pitiful groan and sat up. He turned back undecided, eyes tracing Bradley's figure.

Bradley grinned and got up, walking over to his closet. He chucked a pair of plain black briefs at Colin and picked out a white pair for himself. 

"Thanks." Colin held the material in front of his exposed privates as he ambled over to the washroom, ignoring Bradley's snicker. He went in and took a quick look around, smiling. The room had heated floors and a heated towel rack, the air toasty. There were two sinks and one long mirror. The shower was shaped like a pentagon, with more rounded corners. He turned to water on and impatiently waited for it to heat up, tapping his fingers against the cool granite countertop. He mentally placed his bathroom in Bradley's and swallowed uncomfortably. When steam billowed out from the shower he quickly hopped in and sighed, the heat pleasant on his skin. He watched through the glass door of the shower as Bradley walked in. The blond walked over and leaned against the counter, eyes on his lower half. Colin smiled and turned his back to the blond. Surely enough, the door opened and Bradley's hands were on him, fingers running up his sides and over his chest.

Bradley kissed Colin's neck, grinning when Colin turned to him with want plain in his eyes. He pushed himself flush against Colin's frame and embraced him, brushing through his wet hair.

Colin held onto Bradley, the quiet proximity of his body enchanting, the movement of his fingers gentle. Colin felt the tingle of newness all over him, commiting every touch and sensation to memory, yet as Bradley held him he felt assurance coursing through him, making him feel as though nothing could ever change this very moment and how it felt. The showerhead enveloped them in its heated embrace and Colin dug his fingers into Bradley's back. 

"Seems like you're up for round two," Bradley whispered, chuckle sounding deep in his throat as he pressed his legs against Colin's. 

Colin tinged with embarrassment but responded, lowering his hand between them. "Don't sound so smug, Prince." 

Bradley's laugh echoed in the bathroom and he pressed Colin against the wall, smiling as he kissed him. He met Colin's hand between his legs and grinned. "That's 'sire' to you." 


	17. Cinders

Colin fixed his tie in the mirror and shrugged on his blazer. As he walked out to meet Bradley at the door, he stumbled and reddenned, reaching around to massage his backside.  

Bradley pulled on a sweater and walked out of the room, Colin in tow. "Hungry?"

"Starved."

In the dining room, they were met by a fully set table with plates of meat and fish with a large bowl of steamed vegetables. Colin watched a piece of broccoli be forked and brought up to pink lips.

"Boys," Katie greeted with a devilish grin.

Gwen smiled but could not quite meet their eyes Colin noted as he followed Bradley and took a seat next to him. 

Bradley ignored Katie, smiled politely at Gwen and filled his plate, playing oblivious. 

Colin mirrored Bradley. He took the bowl of mashed potatoes when it was passed and scooped two spoonfuls out onto his plate. He glanced up at Katie quickly as he reached for the veggies and fidgeted under her knowing gaze. He hunched over as he rolled a cauliflower next to his mashed potatoes.

"And how was your evening?" Katie dragged her eyes slowly from Colin to Bradley, her voice melodic.

The blond had just put a piece of chicken into his mouth and chewed on it, staring at Katie with blank eyes. "Pretty good," he said with a shrug, puring himself some mineral water. "Yours?"

Katie's eyebrows came down and she looked between them slyly. "Coffee, homework, you know," she trailed off, brought her fork up to her lips and smiled. "What were you up too?"

Colin stared at his plate, spearing his broccoli as his face heated up. He knew Katie was well aware of what had happened and hoped she'd let the subjet drop.  He really hoped they wouldn't delve into this topic.

"Reading," Bradley intoned blandly, draining his glass. He motioned to Colin's, who pushed it forward, head still bent down.

Colin nodded in thanks, avoided Katie's eyes, and took a sip of his water.

"Hmm," Katie hummed, leaning back. She drummed her fingers on the table top in the ensuing silence, smirking. 

Gwen cleared her throat. Everyone waited.

"You were fucking," Katie finally announced and burst into laughter when Colin flinched and dropped his fork onto the ground. Gwen had stifled her laughter behind her hand and shook her head at Katie. 

Bradley rolled his eyes and reached down for the fallen utensil.   Just as he was straightening back up, Katie's laughter stopped abruptly and Bradley's eyes widened in shock. The fork slipped from his fingers as he stood, clinking against his plate. "Father!"

Colin raised his eyes and felt the colour drain from his face. Bradley's father was in the doorway, eyes rooted on him, eyes that were darkened with disgust, harshly cold, nothing at all like Bradley's. Uther Pendragon cut an imposing figure, tall and broad with a squared jaw and deep frown, wrinkles like ridges in his face only accenting his displeasure; his suit was dark grey like his hair and was similarly neat and sternly pressed. Colin dropped his gaze, swallowed harshly, noted Bradley's knuckles whitening, his hand curled into a fist.

"I want him out of the house." 

Colin shivered. Uther's voice was ice, a cold burn against his skin. 

For a long moment everyone was still, hardly even breathing. Gwen hung her head, her mouth a thin line and next to her, Katie dug her fingers into her thigh. 

Bradley stared resolutely at his father, fury flaming in his eyes. "Come on," he spat, not even glancing at Colin as he stormed out of the room. 

Colin briskly followed after Bradley, giving Uther a wide breadth as he strode past him. He'd glanced at Katie as he stood and seen tears glimmering in her eyes. Gwen had tried to smile at him but could not manage it. In the hall, Bradley was standing at the door, holding it open and staring at the ground. Colin quietly passed through and heard it slam behind him. Alec brought the car around and opened the door for Bradley. Colin got into the passengers seat and listened to the car engine hum until Bradley finally stepped on the gas. He did not feel like talking just then and appreciated that Bradley did not seem inclined to speak either. Colin brooded for all but two seconds about Uther, finding that he was more worried about Bradley than he was about himself. Uther would come around eventually and until then, Bradley would bear the grunt of his displeasure. 

"Hey." Bradley's voice was tired.

"Long night ahead of you?" Colin put his hand on Bradley's arm.

The blond stared ahead. "Yeah," he sighed and nodded. "Yeah, seems like it."

"You...you could stay over at mine if you'd like," Colin offered.

"No," Bradley said, grip tightening on the wheel. "I'm not running from him." 

Colin leaned over and pressed a kiss to Bradley's shoulder, resting his forehead there before sitting back up. He kept his hand on Bradley's arm for the remainder of the ride. Neither said a word. Once in his driveway, his house looking tiny compared to the one he'd just seen, Colin was irresolute about getting out of the car. Bradley was quiet next to him and Colin searched for any words he could say, though nothing came to mind. 

"Do you at least want to-"

"No," Bradley hurried to say, leaning over to kiss Colin lightly on the cheek. "No, listen, tell your mum I said hello and that I'm sorry I couldn't come in. I'll see you tomorrow." 

Something about the way Bradley turned from him was coldly dismissive and Colin swallowed down the lump in his throat and got out of the car. As he walked away he thought about the evening before Uther's arrival, how he'd spent his first time with Bradley, exploring and learning, loving. "Bradley, wait!" He ran from his porch to the road where Bradley had just pulled out of the driveway and motioned for the window to be rolled down. Bradley's jaw was set firmly, his eyes distant, steeled against what would come and Colin could think of nothing else to say other than: "Bradley, I lo-." 

"-Colin, I have to go," Bradley cut in sharply, letting the window slide up and shut Colin out. He stepped on the gas and did not look back, though every fiber of his being knew that Colin was stood, lips parted, stomach sinking as though he'd been punched in the stomach by the road, looking after him, words unsaid. Bradley shook his head and turned the corner, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. But as he drove and thought of his father a heavier weight bore down on him, the weight of failure and disappointment. The weight of his father's gaze. 

Colin watched Bradley's car lights fade, his cheeks blistering red with anger and mortification. His hand trembled as he lifted it to his lips and he stared, wide-eyed at the ground.  _I love_   _you._ Words sounding so sweet seconds before, but now echoing mockingly in his head. He walked to the porch and sank onto the front steps, head in his hands. In a way he'd expected Bradley to reach out, take his hand and smile, maybe say the words back to him, but over and over the moment replayed in his head with a new twist of horror as he imagined what Bradley must have thought. 

"Colin?" Hunith peeked her out the door and stepped out. "What are you doing out here?"

"Hey mum," Colin greeted, clearing his throat and turning with a smile. 

Her gaze lingered on him and she sat down next to him. "Bradley didn't want to step in?"

Colin shook his head. "Nah, he says hello, but he had to get back."

Hunith looked into Colin's face and clicked her tongue. "What is it?"

"What?" Colin tried to sound cheery but Hunith did not let up. Her gaze was critical, questioning and Colin sighed. "Uther's not very happy with all this," Colin explained, shrugging. "Not at all, actually."

Hunith nodded and sighed. "Kettle's on," she said, smiling as she stood.

Colin chuckled and followed her inside. "It always is."

At the table, Colin didn't say much. The tea was a welcome distraction from his blunder and he stared into his cup as though there were a secret message hidden within it. Hunith was sat across from him, quiet, hands around her cup. 

"You know," Hunith began, tapping her fingers against the cup, "you're going to have to let Bradley do this himself. Uther needs time, that's all."  

"I know all that," Colin agreed, closing his eyes, "I really do..."

"But?" Hunith added. 

Colin was silent.

"Oh, sweetheart, you know you can tell me anything." She reached over and took his hand.

Colin dropped his head back, staring at the ceiling. "But I just feel like I'm putting Bradley in a situation where he's got to choose. I don't want that." 

Hunith sat up. "Colin, this isn't your responsibility and it is not your fault."

Colin hunched over. "I know," he mumbled noncommittally, hunching even lower in his seat. "It's just," he began and stopped, scoffing and shaking his head.

Hunith squeezed Colin's fingers and leaned forward. "What is it?" 

Colin looked up into his mum's eyes, his voice sheepish. "What if he doesn't choose me?"

Hunith gave him a tight-lipped smile and took his hands. "Give him more credit than that, he likes you. I've seen how much he needs you, how much you need him, you're like two sides of the same coin."

Colin half entertained her words, preferring to let them soothe him some instead of wholly in fear that if absorbed, the disappointment of not having them proved true might be too much. That night he went to bed feeling lighter than he had in hours and though he could still picture Uther's face as clear as day in his mind, could still taste the biterness on his tongue after Bradley had driven away, he managed to feel some semblance of hope. Even if just for the moment.

Colin woke up late and stuffed his meagre breakfast down his throat before rushing out the door. The bus was pulling up just as he scrambled over and he hopped on behind Gwen.

"Close one," she whispered as they sat down. Her smile was short lived and she looked out the window. 

Colin winced as he sat down, his muscles drawn tight. "Yeah," he sighed, flattening his hair which he had not brushed that morning.

"Katie and I feel horrible about last night," Gwen said tightly, frowning. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Colin answered in a clipped tone. He looked past Gwen and out the window, barely acknowledging the sight. "And Bradley?" 

Gwen smiled apologetically. "Best ask him when we get to school."

"Yeah."

Colin was nervous when he got off of the bus. His anxiety doubled when he saw Bradley standing with Katie at the stairs. Every step closer, the scene from the night before came back startingly clear in his mind and he sucked in a breath.  _I love you. I love you._  How foolish he'd been to even begin to say the words, blurt them out as though it were a good idea. Stupid, Colin thought as he neared. "Hey," he said, voice eerily calm, disregarding the mess in his head. Bradley's eyes were tired but they registered him, looked at him, not through him but at him, which was enough. "You alright?" Colin glanced up, still worrying, knowing that Bradley wasn't but needing to speak or get him to speak. 

"Fine."

Colin hesitantly stepped toward the blond, daring to brush his shoulder against Bradley's. Katie had done without any makeup and stared at him with tired eyes, no doubt having stayed up with Bradley the night before. Colin reached down and with a nervous thump of his heart, took Bradley's hand in his own; the blond tensed but allowed the minor intimacy, curling his fingers against Colin's. The four of them were silent until the bell rang. When they parted, Bradley squeezed Colin's fingers. They didn't see one another until Literature and even then Bradley paid Colin little attention. Eyes moving between the blackboard and the back of Bradley's blond head, Colin fidgeted in his seat. 

Half way through class, Bradley stood and walked over to Colin's desk. "I have to go," he whispered, so as not to disturb the students around them, "my dad texted. Guess last night wasn't enough." 

Colin furrowed his brows. "He wants to do this at school?"

"Bored in his office maybe," Bradley shrugged. "I'll see you."

Colin kept his gaze fixed on Bradley as he left, eyes dropping down as the door closed. It was ten minutes later that he packed his things and left the room. Colin walked until he came face to face with the Dean's office, the door he'd shied away from on his first little tour around the school. With no plan other than to wait until Bradley emerged, he took a seat on the bench to the right of the office and strained to hear through the door, even holding his breath to ensure utter silence. He could hear voices, muted as they were by the door and wall, sounding like hushes tones, ones he could not place in terms of emotions; whether they were fighting or simply discussing he could not decide. After a few minutes he shifted into a comfortable situation and let his head rest against the wall. There was no clock on the wall and he was disinclined to check the time, favouring counting how many planks of wood made up the floor. He was jolted awake by a bang and a shout. Uther's voice rang loud and clear. 

"Damnit, Bradley, that's an end to it!"

Colin sat up, heart pounding. Not even the door could hold back the sound. He leaned in closer, nervously glancing down the hall.

"I will not permit you to degrade yourself and shame this family. You are a Pendragon!"

Colin sat up straighter, fingers curling into his sweaty palms. His stomach turned and he felt a burning sensation in his throat.  _Degrade?_   Colin tried not to interpret Uther's words personally but he could not help but roll them over and over in his head.  _Shameful._  

"That boy does not belong in your world."

Uther's final words make his heart sink. It was as though Uther knew exactly where it would hurt. Bradley, the son of the Dean, handsome, well liked, captain of the football team and splendid student. Colin, city rat thrust into a world which chewed up and spit out newcomers, a world of old money and even older family names, lucky to have made decent friends. Opposites in more ways than one and yet Colin somehow found his name whispered alongside Bradley's, found that their fingers connected effortlessly. And it had worked up until now, people had stopped staring, stop questioning, accepted Colin as part of Bradley's world. Colin swallowed harshly, he _did_   belong in Bradley's world for Bradley belonged in his. He waited and then got up and pressed his ear up against the door and fuck all if somebody saw him, because Bradley said...Bradley said...

"I know."

Colin sucked in a breath, eyes widening. _I know._ He staggered back as though the door had burned him and stared ahead blankly. Uther answered Bradley but the voices were again muted. He stared and then turned on his heel, walked back into class and sat down in his seat. Bradley came in a bit before the bell and he waited at the door for Colin. 

Colin swept past Bradley, slowing down just enough for Bradley to sidle up to him in the hall. "I went after you," he said, voice cool and collected, "at the office, thought you could use some support afterward. I was wrong." 

Bradley was quiet and then heaved a sigh. "Colin..."

Colin whipped around, his tone biting. "What?" he spat, anger and hurt bubbling up in his throat. "Sorry for 'degrading' your precious status, Bradley. I did not realize how shameful my feelings for you were."  More would have tumbled past his lips had he not stopped himself and he only did so because he was so angry, especially as he looked at Bradley, who dared to look at him wide-eyed and in shock. In Bradley's face was unmasked pain and Colin's heart thumped painfully in his chest. He ignored the sympathetic cord struck within him and walked away briskly. 

Bradley watched Colin's back until he lost sight of him. "Colin!" he called but the last he saw of him was dark raven hair disappearing sharply around the corner. Bradley leaned against the wall, cursing under his breath. "I'm sorry," he breathed and took off jogging after him.

Colin heard Bradley call his name three times and he knew that two were but echoes in his head. He ran down the hall and down the stairs, fingers gripping the railing, people looking after him as though he were crazy. In a sense he was. He had no car and so he took off across the lawn and disappeared down the street. With nowhere to go, thinking that if Bradley went after him the blond would head to his house, Colin ambled into town and holed up in a little cafe. The tea they promised was organic and they brought him a Japanese tea set cast in iron. The tea was bitter and strong, burned down his throat and the cup warm against his fingers. When his phone began to ring he put it on the table and watched it light up. One call. One look that Bradley had given him in class that let him know there was more to it than bravado and suits. Almost immediately after the first call the phone lit up again. Two calls. Two words that Bradley had said and by doing so, let him know what it all meant. The third time his phone sang people began to turn around in their seats, motioning to him in annoyance. Three calls. Three words that Colin nearly said, still felt and that hurt. When the line dropped Colin turned his phone off and sat back.

Hours later, a waitress came up to him and shyly informed him that they were closing and he'd have to clear out. Colin wordlessly paid for his tea and told her to keep the change. He was tired and hungry and frustrated that he had to walk home but his head was clear. What Bradley thought was as yet unclear to him but he'd managed to make up his own mind. That he reacted hastily he admitted to himself, but he was ready to talk now or rather, he was ready to listen. It wasn't long before he was walking down his street and once near his house he stopped, staring at his driveway. On it was parked a familiar two door BMW. With a resolute air Colin marched up to his porch, where a figure scrambled up from his sitting position to meet him.

"I..." Bradley began, holding his hands up in surrender, "what I said..." he uttered and shook his head, sighing. "Look, what I mean is..."

Colin shrugged. "I know."

Surprised, Bradley raised his brow at Colin. "You know?"

"No, actually, not at all," Colin said bitterly. "I know that you're under pressure and I know it's hard and I feel selfish for being angry - which I was not up until now, by the way - but that really hurt me, Bradley. Especially after we...after we'd just..." 

Bradley pulled Colin to him, holding tight against the momentary resistance. He buried his face in Colin's neck and held him. "Whatever you heard, I'm sorry." 

As though by pressing so tightly Bradley had squeezed the anger out of it, Colin sagged against the blond. "Sorry I heard or sorry about what you said?" He slowly wrapped his arms around Bradley's waist, not denying the pleasure it brought him to feel Bradley pressed against him, so utterly broad and encompassing but vulnerable, relying on Colin to answer, to press back. 

"Look, it's a fucking mess, alright? But I know that I want you; I want you with me, Colin," Bradley explained, pulling back to look into Colin's face. He brought his hand to Colin's cheek and half-smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know what else to say." 

Colin peered into Bradley's face and chewed on his cheek, mulling over the sincerity of the words. Personally, he thought there was a hell of a lot more to say but for the moment he pushed back his questions and his worries and focused on the man in front of him, one that was at least trying. He had underestimated Bradley's relationship with his father. He didn't know whether Uther held Bradley's hand as a child or if he took him to the park to play, part of him thought that Uther had left Bradley to the nanny, part of him thought that Uther snapped at Bradley to stand up straight and stop fiddling with his hands but he didn't know a single thing. Bradley loved his father all the same so Colin thought about how much he loved his mother, how much he'd hurt if she hated Bradley. "I'm here," he whispered. "I want to be here with you," he said thickly, wondering if he would have ever loved his father at all. 

Bradley smiled and leaned in, softly brushing their lips together, not so much of a kiss as it was it's own version of an embrace. He smiled and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Thank you." 

Colin was pleasantly surprised to feel Bradley take his hand and kiss his knuckles, one by one until the palm of his hand was against Bradley's cheek, cradling his face gently. Bradley breathed softly, fingertips brushing the back of his neck, gentle smile playing on his lips and Colin's heart was beating fast. He pictured his mom, sitting on the couch of their two bedroom apartment, crying quietly, not quite able to keep herself from waking him up; him sleepily walking into the room, rubbing at his eye, ten years old and in a sleepy haze watching tears fall into her lap. A black and white picture was on the table and as he neared he saw was of a young man standing by a log cabin, smiling and staring as though he were alive, dark haired and tall, face familiar though at the time he couldn't imagine why. She saw him, flipped the picture over and told him to go back into his room, the only time he recalled her speaking harshly to him but instead he'd asked: "who is that?" and her bottom lip quivered violently, her eyes tired and red from crying. "I hated my father," he blurted out, eyes staring over Bradley's shoulder, "at first anyway, before hating myself because I thought he left because of me. Maybe he did, she never told me. She never told me anything. I hated him so much." 

Bradley's eyes snapped open and he looked over Colin's face nervously. "Uhm," he mumbled, unsure of how to proceed. He felt Colin's hands drop from his waist and was unsettled when Colin's eyes focused on him, startlingly clear in the purplish light of the evening. 

"I went from hating him to not caring either way, but I think it would hurt if he were disappointed in me, even if he just showed up now, which I guess means that I care in some way. I hate that about me, because he left and never came back, never did a good thing for us in his life, hell he could be dead and I care about what he would think of me." Colin dropped his gaze to the ground and chuckled. "Shit," he muttered, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I even..."

"It's okay," Bradley whispered, placing his finger under Colin's chin to urge him to lift his head. "It's okay. I don't know him or care to but he did something right, yeah? You're here." Bradley smiled and kissed Colin lightly. "You're here and there's no way he wouldn't be proud, no way."

Colin felt the sting of tears in his eyes and felt utterly stupid and pitiful; he wiped them away before they could fall and dug his fingers into Bradley's shirt, pulling at his arm. "Yours should be too, Bradley, you're so good, he has no reason to be doing this but I think I get a little of how you feel so it's okay. What you said to him. I get it." 

Bradley took Colin's hand and stepped back, letting the night air cool the space between them. "I didn't know any of that," he said ruefully, as though Colin had intentionally kept this all a secret. 

Shaking his head, Colin curled his fingers around Bradley's and made his way inside. In the kitchen there was a note on the fridge from Hunith letting him know she'd be home late. "Do you want a sandwich?" he asked Bradley, who had settled down at the table, fingers laced and chin propped up on his knuckles. Colin rummaged through the refrigerator and piled the counter with various vegetables and deli meats. He made Bradley a turkey sandwich and made himself a full veggie one with avocado. They ate in comfortable silence and Colin felt less and less inclined to actually believe the past six hours had happened. He felt at ease, as though all the anger and hurt had been purged out of his body. They moved to the couch after finishing their makeshift dinner and let the television play in the background as they cuddled, Colin with his head on Bradley's lap and feet hanging over the armrest of the couch.

"Why did you go after me today?" Bradley looked down into Colin's face inquisitively, brushing through Colin's hair with his fingers. "When I went to see my dad, I mean."

Colin pursed his lips and shrugged. "Moral support?" he answered flippantly, scoffing when Bradley punched him lightly. "I guess I thought you might need me to be there when you came out or whatever, I don't know."

Bradley quietly acknowledged the sentiment. A few minutes later his voice coloured with a playful tone and he asked Colin where he'd gone afterward because he had waited well over two hours on the driveway.

Colin laughed and looked up at Bradley. "You waited that entire time? I went to town and sat in a little tea shop."

"Well, at least you came home," Bradley finally said, huffing mockingly when Colin prodded his chest with a finger. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on Colin's lips. "There is nowhere I'd rather be right now."

Colin stilled, feeling a hot flush surge inside him at the words. He sat up and stared into Bradley's face. "Me either," he said, moving so that he was straddling Bradley, hands on both sides of his face.

"I'm glad you're here, Colin."

Colin smiled. "You know, your dad wasn't all wrong," he confessed, assuring Bradley that he was being playful by kissing his lips, "we make an odd pair. You're a royal prat and me..." Colin trailed off uncertainly. "Well, I'm me." Grinning, he added: "you should be dating someone bitchy and -"

"-you can be bitchy."

Colin rolled his eyes and huffed mockingly. "But, you're with me, and -"

"Exactly," Bradley interjected, placing a finger to Colin's lips. "I'm with you," he repeated slowly, trailing his finger over Colin's bottom lip, following it with his eyes before looking back into Colin's.

"I'm too good for you," Colin chuckled, gasping when Bradley's fingers dropped to his hips and squeezed him tight. Colin looked down, bemused as Bradley embraced him, cheek against Colin's chest. Silently, Colin brushed his fingers through Bradley's hair, fingers tracing soothing lines down his back. There was something vulnerable in the way Bradley felt against him, a serene calm on his face that made Bradley look fragile, as though a single word could tear it away. Colin looked up at the ceiling, thinking that Uther would be that single word if Bradley went home. He placed his arms on Bradley's shoulders and kissed his head. "Stay the night," he whispered, neither imploringly nor seductively, but as though any other option was nonexistent. 

Bradley nodded his head. "Okay." 

Colin stood up, turned off the TV and offered Bradley his hand. He led him upstairs to his room and kept the lights off, undressing in the sliver of moonlight that shone through his blinds. He walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on, waiting until it was hot and Bradley had followed him in. They did little but kiss and touch, exploring each other's body in quiet admiration. Colin traced the muscles of Bradley's abdomen around to his hips and back up to the curve of his neck. Bradley's smile as he stroked Colin's arms and back was peaceful, as though he were drawing some innocent form of happiness from the feel of Colin's skin. They fell asleep together on Colin's cramped bed, trying not to move so as not to knock the other to the floor, which gave them more reason to curl into one another. Colin fell asleep listening to the sound of Bradley's breathing, not quite sure whether he'd imagine the days events, so distanced from his earlier feelings in the still calm of the night that it seemed as though they'd been experienced by another person. It gave him peace of mind to know that he'd wake to Bradley in the morning, which was frightening in and of itself. But it was good, Colin thought as he pressed his nose against Bradley's. "I love you," he whispered, knowing that Bradley didn't hear him but smiling nonetheless.


	18. Gear Shift

Colin woke with a pain in his arm, right in his shoulder as though someone were putting out a cigarette right above his armpit, the rest of his arm he couldn't even feel. Half-asleep he shifted, intending to roll over but he was pinned, partially as far as he could see through his hooded eyes. Blond hairs poked into his face and he curled into the figure next to him. Colin couldn't remember how or why Bradley had ended up in his bed, but he felt content with the fact. That is, until his shoulder flared up in pain again.

"Bradley," he said gruffly, voice laden with sleep. He tried to lift Bradley's weight with his free hand and extract his arm but could not put enough force into it. With a sigh he lay back and stared at the ceiling. His eyes flinched over to his door when he heard the knob turn. 

"Morning sweetheart," Hunith chirped happily before stopping haflway through the door. "Sweethearts," she corrected with a chuckle, "breakfast for three then." 

Colin smiled when she winked at him and shook his head. She left the door open and within minutes Colin could smell hazelnut flavoured coffee from the kitchen. 

Bradley snorted, eyes still closed though he made an effort to lift himself so that Colin could withdraw his arm. "God, could you imagine my father saying something like that?"

Colin could, though the hardest part of it was to imagine Uther actually smiling. He chuckled and cried out when Bradley sprawled his limbs nearly pushing him off the bed. He pushed at Bradley shoulder and sighed. "Come on, time to go." 

Breakfast was quick as Bradley wanted to drop by his house before school. The early morning they'd spent smiling and glancing at one another and Colin thought Bradley looked stupidly content, but a tenseness had settled back into his features as they neared his house and Colin could do little but offer his hand on Bradley's arm. 

Mrs. Bartlett opened the door before Bradley could even put his hand on the konb. Her eyes were steel. "Where have you been?"

Colin poked his head over Bradley's shoulder. "Sorry he didn't call," he offered her with a polite smile, hopping he could buffer the situation.

The elderly woman pursed her lips and sighed. "Your father asked after you." 

Bradley ignored her and walked up the stairs with Colin following hastily on his heels. 

"Oh God," Colin groaned as they walked into Bradley's room, "your bed would definitely have been better to sleep in."

Bradley grinned as he threw his shirt off. "We'll do that some time," he said wih a wink and undid his zipper.

Colin, perhaps through force of habit, turned away as Bradley undressed, that is, until he reminded himself he'd seen Bradley entirely naked. When he looked back, Bradley was pulling up a pair of black dress pants and though the outfit was simple and clean, it gave Bradley an added air of grace. 

"No time for that, Colin," Bradley teased, shrugging his blazer on and quickly fixing his tie.

Before they left, Mrs. Bartlett stopped them. "Bradley, dear, if you see your father today..." she paused and her lips tightened into a thin line. 

This time, Bradley looked at her and gave her a tired smile and a kiss on the cheek. "I know."

Colin silently got into the car and they drove down to the gates, slipping onto the road with nothing but the engine humming and leather squeaking as Colin shifted in his seat. Colin sighed, feeling unsettlingly tired; tired of the pressure of Bradley's shoulders and tired of feeling the weight of it topple over onto his own at times, though the latter made him flinch. Selfish, he thought, that instead of trying to shoulder the little weight that fell upon him he complained. 

"What are you thinking?"

Colin hesitated but allowed for the truth: "your father." 

"Yeah? What about him?"

"Well, not him as much as what he's making you feel." 

Bradley's grip tightened on the wheel. "You don't know what I'm feeling." 

Bradley's voice was neither biting nor low, but it was strained and Colin felt more and more like he  _did_  know what the blond was feeling, even if only a little. "No," Colin began, "but I wish I could help all the same." 

"Can we not talk about it for a while?" 

Colin nodded and the space between them hummed unnervingly with silence.

It took them a while to park. The only spot available was narrow and pinned between two bulky vehicles. Bradley parked easily enough but spent a good ten minutes contemplating whether or not to leave his car there. "They'll hit my car," he grumbled.

"So move it," Colin tapped his foot impatiently.

"No, we'll be late for class then," Bradley huffed and started for the school, glancing over his shoulder pitifully.

Colin rolled his eyes. "It's going to bother you all day, just move it," he growled and stopped. "Go on, I'll wait."

Bradley shot him a quick smile as he ran back over to his car and got in. He got lucky and found another spot on the far end of the lot and, satisfied, left his car without turning back.

Colin thought it strange how easily they could both act as thought everything were fine one moment and discuss the reality of Bradley's state the next and then back again as though nothing had ever happened. It felt like a disjointed film, two perspectives that never coincided though they should have. Regardless, Colin didn't feel like hounding Bradley all day and left it at the conversation in the car. 

They were late and the day was cold. Colin largely focused on the clock rather than his lectures. He just couldn't seem to focus, so much so that Gwen even noticed and wordlessly slipped her notebook over for him to copy down. The more he waited the slower the day passed and when the final bell rang he was tired and irritated, heading straight for Bradley's car and then hopefully straight home. 

He was half-sitting on the hood of Bradley's car when Katie walked over and pecked him on the cheek, much to cheery and perky.

"Why are you parked so far away?"

"Bradley," Colin corrected, "I don't drive and he didn't want anyone to hit his car." 

Katie hummed and studied him, considering his clipped tone but deciding to ignore it, continued: "have you seen the notices around school?"

Colin shook his head, he hadn't seen much but the floor and the clock that day. "No." 

She stared at him hard. "They're everywhere. Every hall way, door, shelf and locker!"

Looking up, Colin sighed and shrugged. "Haven't seen 'em."

Katie clicked her tongue and sat down next to Colin, reaching over to link their fingers, despite the fact that Colin tried to move away. "School dance," she said, smiling brightly. "Organized by yours truly," she added and pointed at her face, grinning wider. "There's a lot of people helping out but Gwen, Vivian and I are managing it."

Colin relaxed his hand in Katie's and turned to her suspiciously. "Vivian?"

"Can't stand her, but she's got amazing colour coordination and her decorating abilities are too good to pass up. Besides, she's coordinating the drama club and band for me."

"Decorating? What's the theme?"

"Masquerade!" Katie's eyes shone as she spoke. "Been wanting to do it for ages." 

Colin raised his eyebrows at her enthusiasm. "Expensive."

"It's on the school budget, they save up for a huge dance every year; usually it's later but it's going to come early this year. Most of it's done, we've just got a few rehearsals to get through, make sure all the lights, speakers and microphones work."

"I've never really been to a school dance," Colin mused, thinking back on how many times Will had tried to pry him from his room to go to the formal and semi-formal and each time he'd shook his head and laughed, preffering pyjama pants to anything else.

"It's going to be brilliant," she finished and then looked him up and down. "You are coming?"

Colins scrunched his face. "Can't dance," he admitted, lifting his legs into the air, "two left feet and all." 

"Don't sweat it, dear, I will guide you along," Bradley quipped, coming around the side of the vehicle to snake his hand around Colin's waist and hoist him up. "Madame," he intoned seriously, bowing low, "may I have this dance?"

Colin pushed Bradley and snorted. "Stop it."

"Well, you're going whether you like it or not. Get a tux," she ordered and stared them both down, "together." She stood and ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. "I've got to go, planning comittee meeting." 

"We'll see you at the dance," Bradley promised, forcing Colin into a twirl. "Won't we?" 

Colin tried to squirm out of Bradley's grip and huffed once he realized he would not escape. "Yes." 

Katie stood undecided by the pair and sighed. "It's this weekend," she said slowly, her eyes pinned on Bradley, "after the game."

Colin felt Bradley's grip fall and spun around to face Katie. "Game?" 

"The game against Cenred," Bradley answered, trying to sound uninterested. 

Colin quirked a brow at the solemnity between the two of them and shook his head. "And?"

Katie smiled. "Bradley's doesn't play nice with that team," she explained, "do you, Bradley?"

"I'm taking Colin home," Bradley replied, ignoring her accusatory gaze in favour of getting into the car. 

Colin looked at Bradley and then stepped toward Katie. "What is that about?"

"Bradley's got like this personal vendetta against Cenred's captain, it's childish and the same every year," she explained, mock smiling and waving at Bradley who was watching them through the windshield. "A few years back Mordred got away with a few dirty plays, the ref didn't call any and Cenred won." 

Colin furrowed his brows and looked over his shoulder at Bradley. "I guess I'll see that firsthand this weekend?"

Katie nodded and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Don't judge Bradley too much and for God's sakes please get matching tuxes!" 

Colin laughed and shook his head. "What if we come horribly mismatched?"

Katie ignored his comment and led him to the passenger side door. "Darren tuxes are 20% off this whole week," she said, pushing him into the car, "blue ties would be nice." 

Colin was about to answer her but she closed the door between them and winked through the window, blowing them both a kiss as she walked away. Colin watched her raven hair swish back and forth by her lower back and shook his head, amazed at her ability to force him out of his sullen mood without saying a word about it. With a fond smile he turned to Bradley. 

"Let's go get you a beautiful ball gown, princess, Bradley joked as he slipped a pair of sunglasses on and started the car. "We're going to pretty you up." 

"Don't call me princess," Colin retorted sharply, smile gone though a playful twinkle remained in his eye. "And don't call me Madame either!"

Bradley pulled out of the lot and floored his car, rocketing down the street. "Fair enough, Milday, but you didn't say a word about the dress." 

Colin groaned and butted his shoulder. "Just drive, Prince." 

Bradley grinned and stepped on the gas, laughing when Colin grabbed onto his arm and gasped. "That much I can do."


	19. Quietly

Colin stood before his computer screen chewing on the inside of his cheek. His fingers tapped the mouse nervously and his eyes flitted down the list of songs on his iTunes. Rationally, he knew that it was _just_ music, but it felt important somehow, to have Bradley walk in and listen and approve of what he listened to, so Colin scrolled up and down his playlists until he finally just clicked on shuffle. He sat down on the bed and fell back, closing his eyes. Across from him on his dresser hung a plastic bag, housing his new and expensive (so, so expensive) tuxedo. Colin still shook his head when he thought of the price, which to Bradley had been like buying a coffee, like nothing at all. 

"Is that folk music?"

Colin's eyes snapped open. "Contemporary folk," he demurred quietly. 

"Oh," Bradley scratched his head and leaned against the door frame, "it's nice." 

With a groan, Colin pushed himself up. Just as he was about to speak his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. "Hold that thought," he said hastily and got up to turn his music down before answering the phone. "Yeah?" 

"Hey! It's me and Gwen." 

Colin sat on his bed, ignoring Bradley's questioning glance. "What's up?"

"Did you guys get tuxes?"

"Yeah," he replied, furrowing his brows when he heard Gwen chuckle. "What is it?"

"Matching?" Gwen asked. 

"Blue, as requested," he said with a sigh, cradling the phone to his ear with his shoulder. He rolled his eyes when he heard Katie clap. 

"Perfect, now listen," Katie started, pausing to allow Gwen to continue. 

"We need another person to help set-up before the dance, we've had a bunch of, ehm, un-volunteers," Gwen explained. 

"Oh, yeah, sure," Colin agreed, "sunday?"

"Mhmm," the girls intoned. 

"We just need help with the tables and chairs," Gwen added.

"Want to enlist Bradley to help?"

"No," they both stressed.

"He'll just get in the way, but tell him to get here earlier since you'll be there," Katie said, reflecting. 

Colin looked at Bradley as he finished scrolling through Colin's music and popped a brow. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He ended the call and chucked his phone onto the table. "See anything you like?"

Bradley hummed in appreciation and glanced at Colin. "Katie?"

"And Gwen," Colin added, leaning back and spreading his arms out. He glanced at Bradley several times and sighed, thinking his music couldn't be _that_ interesting. Especially when...he grinned and undid the button on his pants, slowly dragged the zipper down so that it was audible. "I asked if you saw anything you liked."

"Surprisingly yes, I've never heard of some of these, but they sound good," Bradley replied, not even sparing a glance at Colin as he clicked through the songs. "I need some new music," he reflected. 

Colin scoffed and then cleared his throat. "Yeah?" he sat up and took his shirt off, throwing it at the chair Bradley was standing next to. "There should be loads there," he said casually as he shrugged off his pants. "But there's something here for you too," he added after a moment. When Bradley didn't react, Colin threw his head back and closed his eyes. "I give up." 

"On what?" 

Bradley's breath was a whisper in his ear and his bare chest was against Colin's, so quick that Colin barely had time to register what was happening. He peeked at Bradley through his lashes. "I was trying to seduce you," he muttered, breath catching in his throat when Bradley's fingers dug into his hips. 

"I know." Bradley grinned and kissed Colin's lips, smacking their teeth together painfully, though neither pulled away. "I saw," he murmured against Colin's neck, chasing the words with his lips on Colin's skin. He fumbled with his belt and zipper and flipped off of Colin to shrug them off and then quickly returned to his position. He smirked and leaned to down to kiss Colin's chest, stopping inches from his skin, feeling warmth near his lips though he was not touching him. He looked back up and took Colin's face between his hands. "I saw," he repeated, "I've always seen you." 

Colin's eyes widened and he stilled. "I know," he whispered, voice rough in the silence. "I know." Colin closed his eyes and arched into Bradley as light kisses trailed down his body. He groaned when fingers hooked on the hem of his boxers. Bradley's fingers were cold, but his touch made Colin warm, leaving little paths of fire all over his skin.

Bradley kissed Colin's knee and then slowly trailed kisses up his thigh where he dipped inward until his nose felt the fabric of Colin's boxers. He slid the palm of his hand underneath them from Colin's inner thigh and then, gripping the material from the inside, pulled down.

Colin groaned quietly. "The door," he whispered, "lock the door." Bradley's touch left him, he heard a click, and then his boxers were off.

Bradley wasted no time with foreplay and stroked Colin's hard member once before taking it into his mouth. He held Colin's hips down when they started to rise and as he slid his tongue around the tip he moved his hand down to stroke him. "Stay down."

Colin gripped his bed sheets and forced himself not to buck upwards. He curled his toes as Bradley hollowed his cheeks, throwing his head back and holding on until his fingers were painfully numb. "I'm...I" he breathed out, feeling the pressure in his cock tighten as Bradley's fingers curled around the base.

"Not yet," Bradley said breathlessly. He kept stroking as he leaned up and kissed Colin's open lips. Moans were muffled as Bradley tasted Colin, pulling harder with his hand. He could feel Colin's body begin to shudder. He reached his free hand up and tugged on Colin's hair, pulling his head back. He momentarily nuzzled Colin's neck and then placed his chin right underneath Colin's bottom lip, feeling hot breath hit his face. "Now," he breathed, lips parting as Colin's did. He closed his eyes and tugged once more before Colin's body was arching up into him. 

Colin groaned Bradley's name, eye's shut tight as he came into Bradley's hand. He fell back, breathless and swiped a hand across his forehead. "You know," he said between breaths, "for all that work you did, I'm pretty tired." 

Bradley propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at his hand, stretching his fingers. "We work well together," he said with a smile and brought his hand to Colin's chest. "Oops," he gasped, as he flattened his palm against Colin's skin. "Looks like you need a shower." He began to sit up but Colin's arms wrapped around his neck.

"Just stay here," Colin whispered, his voice soft with affection. 

Bradley slowly lay down and let his chin rest in Colin's hair, his fingers tracing circles into Colin's back until he could hear even, quiet breaths. He waited until the hold around his neck fell and gently rolled off the tiny bed. He tiptoed to the washroom and cleaned his hand, wetting a hand towel to clean Colin's chest. Bradley quickly rummaged through Colin's closet for a blanket and draped it over Colin's frame. He dressed and walked over to the bed, leaning down to lightly kiss Colin's temple, wondering how Colin could lose ten years in his features simply by falling asleep. With a small smile he brushed Colin's raven hair out of his face. Wordlessly, he slipped out of the room and left the house.


	20. Igraine

Colin woke slowly, curling into his warm blankets with a soft sigh. He vaguely registered that he was naked but preferred to dwell in his semi-conscious state. It wasn't until he turned around and cracked an eye open to look at his clock that he began to care. He shot up in bed and rubbed at his eyes furiously, shivering as the blanket fell from his shoulders. He scurried into the shower under lukewarm water and scrubbed himself awake. He jumped out of the shower, pat himself down with a towel and ran to his closet, forcing his damp skin into his clothes with a grimace. He slowed to a stop and spun around to look at his bed, crooked grin appearing on his face and then dropping just as quickly. Bradley hadn't stayed. He clicked his tongue and grunted, turning to other things in his haste. 

Colin had time for a quick cup of coffee and a bagel, pouring out another cup when his mother shuffled into the room. He silently handed his cup to her and poured himself another, watching her as she sat down at the table and bent her head over the cup to let the steam wash over her face. Colin came around to the head of the table and tilted his head. "Are you...," he paused and quirked a brow, "are you hungover?" 

She glanced up at him and resumed breathing in the scent wafting in swirls from her cup. 

"Are you putting me on?" Colin laughed. 

"Evee took us out, young at heart that girl," she explained, tone rough and scratchy. She put a hand to her throat and then sipped on her coffee. 

Colin reached over and put a hand on her arm. "If I was't so surprised I might be jealous right now," he joked, stroking her back. 

"You were never the type," she said with a soft chuckle, "for partying, I mean." 

Colin took a large gulp of coffee and straightened up. "Didn't think you were either." 

Hunith leaned back and groaned. "I'm not. It was one of those, 'we're not too old to do this' nights."

Colin snorted and picked up his bag, flattening the wrinkles on his blazer. "Mum, you're not old."

She laughed and waved her hand at him. 

"Right, I'm going to head off," he said, pecking her quickly on the cheek before leaving. "Take some pills for that headache," he called over his shoulder. 

Gwen wasn't at the bus stop when he arrived which would have worried him had the bus not just rounded the bend and come down the road. It was a silent ride. At school he was surprised to find the stone steps deserted and he stood loyally at the base, watching out for Katie or Gwen. Freya passed by him and he smiled, thinking he should at least attempt to keep up contact with her. Finally, he saw a familiar face coming toward him and in his eagerness headed to meet them.

"Mornin'," Lancelot greeted, smiling.

"Hey," Colin replied, looking over Lancelot's shoulder. "Where is everyone?"

Shrugging, Lancelot shook his head. "No idea. Coming to practice?"

"Yeah," Colin nodded. "Yeah, something just came up the last time."

Lancelot shifted his weight onto his left foot. "Yeah, that's alright. Game's tomorrow," he commented, raising his brow emphatically. 

"I hear it's supposed to be interesting," Colin sighed, with just an echo of curiosity.

Lancelot chuckled. "Heard about that already, have you?" He shook his head. "Well, they always are."

Colin nodded and wondered if perhaps all the talk was grossly exaggerated, though knowing Bradley... "Oh, hey, finally!" He smiled as Katie and Gwen walked over, somehow feeling like the morning had only just begun the way it should with their presence. 

Gwen slipped under Lancelot arm and smiled apologetically at Colin, apologizing for her absence. "Katie gave me a ride," she explained, shifting her attention momentarily to smile up at Lancelot, who had nuzzled her head. 

"Don't even mention it," he said dismissively, looking questioningly at Katie, reaching a thumb up to wipe the smudge of mascara from the corner of her eye.  "How are you?"

"I'm alright," she sighed, briefly hugging him. Before pulling away she whispered in his ear, "did Bradley call?"

He pulled away from her to search her face and shook his head. "What happened?"

"What else?" she said with annoyance, rolling her eyes. "They had a row and Bradley just stormed off and they're both too proud to really talk it out."

Colin stiffened. "Did he come back?"

"About two hours later," she scoffed, "very dramatically may I add. Eyes downcast and hood pulled over his head, I mean really," she shook her head vigorously. "Those idiots," she murmurred.

Gwen stepped forward and slipped one of her hands into Colin's palm and the other into Katie's, pressing them both tightly. "We're going to head in, okay? See you at lunch." She pecked Katie on the cheek and took Lancelot's hand before leaving. 

Katie put her bag down and knelt by it, rummaging through it.

"Did you see Bradley this morning?" Colin asked.

"No, he left earlier than me, thought he might be here already," she muttered as she prodded her fingers into the inner pockets of her purse. 

Colin frowned, wondering if somehow Bradley's argument with his father had something to do with his not staying over the night before. The whole night seemed to him laced with foreboding now. "What was it about?"

"Everything and nothing," she said bitterly, sighing. "Bradley's future mostly, I mean Uther's got all these plans right? And Bradley...well, it got to Igraine and from there...pair of idiots, I just can't stand it sometimes." She swished her raven pony-tail with an angry jerk of her head and then finally dug out what she was looking for. "Do you ever wonder how loving someone can be this hard when it should be easy?"

"I have to go talk to him," Colin said, stepping close enough to her to squeeze her shoulder. "Where is he?"

She smiled at him and held out her hand, dangling a set of keys from her finger. "Mrs. Bartlett used to take him out to this field not too far from the house. You'll see the path past a rounded bend, it's narrow, but no one ever drives there. Just walk on foot from the dirt path and you'll find it, easy." 

Colin could feel his hand tremble as he curled his fingers around the cold metal of the keys. He nodded slowly. "Easy," he echoed shakily.

Katie hugged him. "If you wreck my car, I will not hesitate to kill you," she whispered into his ear with a lethal tone, smiling sweetly at him before jogging up the steps and into the school.

Colin laughed nervously and took a deep breath as he walked over to the parking lot. He stood by Katie's car and looked at his reflection in the window, unsure and terrified. He unlocked the luxury vehicle and got in, putting his uncertain hands on the wheel before slowly, placing the keys in the ignition and starting the car (something he hadn't done since he was sixteen). He reversed out of the parking space with his heart in his throat, turning the wheels experimentally, praying that he had enough mind to properly right the car. He drove slowly, so slowly he began to wonder if he'd even make it to Bradley before the blond decided to go to school himself, hell they might pass each other on the road. A sigh of relief escaped him when he saw that the large portion of traffic was oncoming, leaving him nearly isolated on his side of the road. 

Nearing his destination, he realized he'd won only half the battle. Narrow, as Katie had so elegantly used did not cover just how pinched in he was between the birch trees on his left and a ravine on his right. He prayed to whatever forces were at work in the universe that the road he was on was one-way and that he was currently driving from the right direction. When he rounded the first bend he kept his eye fixed on the side of the road, urging the car at a snail's pace until he saw a lightly trodden path in the grass. He parked the car off on the side, shaded by the trees and left on foot, clenching and unclenching his fingers around the keys. 

Getting to Bradley was harder than expected. The path was barely visible and at some point split into two. The only reason Colin chose the right one was because further down he could see scattered flowers and if Katie had meant a meadow by saying 'field' that would surely be it. He walked slowly through the grass and let his fingers graze the long strands, his head swimming in the aroma of the plants, shocked at how little autumn had penetrated this pocket of land. A dozen minutes past and he stopped, biting his lip and looking over his shoulder. Firstly, he could have taken the wrong path and secondly, he might not find his way back when every tree and every flower looked the same. Ahead of him was a small hill and he took a breath and ascended it, looking out onto a meadow. Nearly in the centre of it stood a lone figure, blond hair startlingly contrasting with the deep purples and whites of the flowers. Colin thought he might feel relief upon finding Bradley but he felt an inexplicable surge of anger in his chest. He stomped down the hill and curtly called out Bradley's name. 

Bradley's head whipped around in surprise and he frowned. "What are you doing?"

Colin scoffed and continued angrily trodding through the field toward Bradley, throwing his hands into the air. "You don't show up to school, Katie says you got into a row with Uther?"

"Go back to school, Colin."

Colin stopped mid-step and stared at Bradley's back incredulously. Go back? The coolly dismissive tone made Colin's jaw clench and he balled his hand into a fist. "I beg your pardon?" Not a single flutter of sympathy hit his chest amid the anger, though as he had set out that was all he feeling, aside from the fear of driving off the road. 

Bradley's gaze was sharp as he took in Colin's frame, so near him that he could have just reached out to touch him, but he didn't. "Alright," he deferred and smiled sarcastically, "you stay." 

Colin was rooted to the spot, staring with wide eyes as Bradley sidestepped him and began to walk away. He had hardly formed a coherent thought before his fingers dug into Bradley's arm and pulled him back. Bradley shrugged him off harshly. "Brad -"

"Just fuck off, Colin!" Bradley spat. "Jesus, it's like I can't get away from any of this shit."

Colin felt as though a bolt of lightning had hit him and his mouth fell open. Finally, he pulled himself up and firmly planted himself in front of Bradley, breathing in deeply before speaking. "I'm staying and you can do whatever you want and say whatever you want."

Bradley stared at Colin, eyes on fire, and then dropped his gaze, wiping a hand across his mouth. He breathed in shakily. "Just piss off, really," Bradley's voice was a warning.

Colin narrowed his eyes. "You think you're winning something by trying to do this alone?" Colin felt a swell of emotion catch in his throat and he reached out for Bradley's arm, the thought having put him into a position to find sympathy anew.

Bradley stepped back and slapped Colin's hand out of the way. "What in the hell do you know?"

"Don't you fucking talk like you know me," Colin said between his teeth, stepping toward Bradley. "Don't think you get to play the poor, oppressed son and think your problems are the only goddamn ones that matter or that people haven't had their own share of shit," he spat, pushing Bradley back. "And don't think you get to blame me for whatever fantasies have burst into flames for your dad about you, it's not my fault you've been too fucking scared to stand up to him for your whole life." 

Bradley's eyes coloured with utter rage and his fingers curled into his palm. He raised his arm and pulled it back, knuckles white. His whole body shook with tension before he blinked and let out a wheezing breath, dropping his arm and forcing his fingers apart. He blinked rapidly and slowly sunk to his knees, bringing a trembling hand to his forehead. "Fuck," he breathed out in shock. He looked up and swallowed harshly. "Fuck, Colin." 

Colin stood silent, looking down coldly, but when Bradley dropped his head Colin fell to his knees in front of him and gathered Bradley's face into his hands, lifting Bradley's chin up so that he could look into his eyes. He tentatively leaned forward and kissed him before pulling Bradley into a tight embrace. He stared ahead, chin propped up on Bradley's shoulder and for the first time since he'd walked into the meadow really noticed how beautiful it was. The flowers bloomed proudly into the chilly air and the grass was emerald green, swaying calmly in the breeze; the sky was a picturesque blue, the clouds floating by leisurely, content to revel in the pastel tint. It was as though they'd walked into a still life painting, the way an artist would have seen it, all vibrancy and peace, colour and meaning reflected in every strand of grass. Bradley's fingers dug into his skin.

"I'm glad you're here, Colin."

Colin smiled and answered by placing his cheek against Bradley's, his fingers softly circling Bradley's back. "We can't keep doing this," he murmured, breathing in the faintly sweet flowers around them. Bradley assented by humming into his shoulder. "You can't keep doing this to yourself," Colin added, lifting one of his hands into Bradley's hair. 

Bradley sighed, neither disagreeing nor audibly agreeing to the comment. Instead he just held Colin tighter. 

Colin felt the tension ease out of him in Bradley's embrace and reflected on his words, colouring slightly at the anger and sharpness with which he had thrown them in Bradley's face. All together they felt too harsh to him now and he wondered if he should not apologize for being so careless. But as Bradley pulled away and looked into his face, soft smile on his lips, Colin could think of nothing more than running his fingers by Bradley's ear and kissing him. 

They kissed slowly and carefully, undercurrents of feeling obvious less in the touching of their lips than in the mild caress Colin bestowed on Bradley's cheek and the way Bradley's thumb brushed up and down Colin's jaw. When they pulled apart, Bradley shifted by Colin's side and sat back, looking around him before he lay on the grass. Colin followed suit and lay down next to Bradley, letting their fingers touch and play carelessly between strands of grass. 

"Do you know what these flowers are called?" Bradley asked, reaching out one hand to stroke the purple splashed petals of the nearest flower. 

Colin shook his head. "No." 

"Igraine," Bradley said, voice soft and with an inflection that bestowed a slight melody upon the name. 

Colin followed the slow yet careful path of a fluffy cloud in the sky, repeating the flower's name in his head. "Igraine," he echoed in a whisper, furrowing his brows as his mind turned the word round and round in his head until he remembered where he'd heard it before, "isn't that?"

"When my father was in New Zealand, he found a cliff hiding this white, purple flower in its crevices, an unnamed one apparently. So he had it named and he brought it back with him. He bought this land here, it was just outside of what we already owned and he planted the entire area with the flower. It took three years for the whole field to bloom so well, just in time, really, for what he planted it for; my mother's birthday and their anniversary," Bradley said, narrating the story with reserve and near the end a sort of contrite pleasure.

"That's beautiful," Colin commented, imagining the romance of Uther bringing Arthur's mother to the crest of the hill and whispering the name of the flower in her ear as she gazed at the specks of purple and white amid the sea of green. 

"That was the year I was born," Bradley continued, "and her birthday was three weeks after mine."

Colin stilled, the beauty of the meadow feeling oppressive after Bradley's words until he breathed in its earthy, sweet aroma and let it out, allowing it to be bright in his mind again.

"You know, sometimes I feel like the side of him that could do _this_ , died with him the day she did," Bradley murmured, not with bitterness but with genuine wonder and reflection, the way he often thought and spoke of his father; preferring to imagine that he had once been capable of softness and of overt love, if this tainted gift to Igraine meant anything. 

Colin could fill in the gaps between then and now easily enough, it was almost painfully obvious how Uther had come to what he was today. He sighed and squeezed Bradley's fingers. Tentatively, he spoke: "You don't owe him an apology or your life, the way he sees fit." After a pause he carefully added: "And you don't owe it to her, you don't owe anything but to  _be_. Be happy."  _  
_

Bradley laughed. "You'd think I could do at least that." 

"You can," Colin stressed, "you have been, when you're not trying to act like some caricature of yourself to please Uther." 

"Colin," Bradley said in a teasing voice, propping himself up on his side to look down at the young man next to him; he grinned, "you're rather bold today." 

Colin rolled his eyes, but flushed. "A little," he admitted. "I'm not trying to preach, you know? Just..."

"Help," Bradley finished, eyelashes falling thickly over his blue eyes. "I know," he said, "thank you." 

Colin was about to say more until Bradley's eyes snapped open and his eyebrows narrowed in suspicion.

"How did you even get here?" Bradley asked, looking at Colin as though he were just becoming aware of his presence.

"Uhm," Colin sputtered weakly, "I drove?"

Bradley clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "Katie drove you? Is she picking you up? because I walked and would rather have a drive."

Colin slid his hand into his pocket and dug out Katie's keys, shaking them in front of Bradley's face. "I drove," he said again, popping a defiant brow. "You prat," he added with a huff, "I drove here for you." 

Bradley's eyes swished back and forth as Colin shook the keys before he focused back on Colin's face, incredulous. "You're serious?" he exclaimed, sitting up. "My God, how did you manage?"

Colin let out a long laugh, punching Bradley's shoulder. "Just about," he answered, smiling, "I got here didn't I?"

Bradley pursed his lips, unconvinced, and grabbed the car keys. "Well, I'm driving us back, " he said seriously with a shake of his head. "Katie let you drive," he muttered to himself in shock, "my God." 

Colin laughed even harder and closed his eyes, holding Bradley's hand tightly and letting the the other one lie in the grass and the flowers, fingers reaching out as far as he could stretch them. He sighed. "Let's stay for a little while longer," he said, feeling his face warm as the sun broke out among the clouds. He felt Bradley's lips press to his cheek. 

"Colin," Bradley began, looking at the side of Colin's face and the flowers just next to him, framing his dark hair and light skin, "thank you." 

A light breeze brushed through the meadow, rustling the leaves in the trees and carrying with it the sweet smell of Igraine's flowers. Colin breathed it in and pressed Bradley's fingers, not bothering to answer to something which in his mind was so simple.  _Idiot. Always._

 


	21. Bad Blood

Colin and Bradley ended up skipping first and second period, driving instead to a little cafe fifteen minutes from the school. The sky had become cloudy and a chill wind was blowing through the streets. Colin ordered tea to warm himself while Bradley ordered coffee. 

They sat silently, shifting on the uncomfortable stools and sometimes looked over at one another. There were moments when Colin wanted to break the silence and talk but he couldn't bring himself to utter a sound. He watched Bradley sip at his coffee and then watched the passersbys outside, hurrying down the street before rainfall. He smiled to himself, reaching across the circular table to place his hand over Bradley's. 

Bradley lifted Colin's hand up to his lips and he held it there, the tip of his nose brushing against Colin's knuckles. Sighing, he slowly let himself relax and tried to hold on to the weightless feeling of lying in the meadow with Colin. His father's words were never too far from his mind, but the warm touch of Colin's skin anchored him in the moment. Briefly he wondered if his father and mother had ever sat similarly in a coffee shop, holding hands; he couldn't quite picture it. 

Colin lifted his index finger and brushed it gently across Bradley's upper lip. He stopped at the corner and brought his thumb up to Bradley's chin. He looked up into Bradley's eyes. His heart was steady, maybe it was the calming effect of the tea. It seemed as good a moment as any. "I love you."

Bradley closed his eyes and kissed Colin's extended finger. He slipped his hand around Colin's wrist and let it slide down to Colin's elbow as he leaned over the table. He pressed their lips together, unmoving, with the faintest of pressure and as he pulled away, answered in the space between them with a barely audible hesitation. "I love you too."

Colin had to grin. It just felt so damn good. He sat back in his seat and looked away for a moment. The girl at the counter was staring at them with pink cheeks. She grinned back at him. He checked his watch.

"Class starts soon."

Bradley groaned. "Yeah, I suppose we should be getting back." He dropped a few notes on the table and nodded at the counter girl as they left. 

Once at school, Colin hurried down the hall, urging Bradley with jerks of his hand to speed up. He slipped into class first and smiled apologetically at his professor before finding his seat next to Gwen; Bradley had gone to sit with his friends. 

"Hey," Gwen whispered to him as he sat down, raising a brow and nodding in the direction of Bradley.

Colin smiled at her as he took out his notebook. "He'll be alright. Did I miss much last class?"

She shrugged. "Lecture," she replied, turning to search through her bag. "Pages are bookmarked, just pass it back on Monday," she said as she handed Colin her notebook. "Speaking of lectures..." Gwen sighed.

Colin looked on noncommittally as Miss Nimueh called for attention and managed to pay attention to at least half of the lecture. The sound of the bell was sweet relief and as he stood up and walked to the door he only distractedly worried about his work ethic lately. Bradley was waiting by the door, grinning at one of his buddies as they passed by. Colin was about to slide up to him but Vivian planted herself in his way. Eyebrow raised he gingerly side stepped her and came around to Bradley's side, snaking his arm around his waist. He smiled sweetly when Vivian eyed his arm skeptically. Gwen patted him on the shoulder and rolled her eyes jokingly as she left.

"Bradley, you may ask me to the dance this weekend."

Colin looked at Vivian, looked down at his arm around Bradley's waist to ensure that it was truly there, then back and her. 

"I'm afraid I've already got a date," Bradley leaned his head against Colin's. "My princess here."

Colin elbowed him.

Vivian clicked her tongue and sighed. "Are you serious?"

"Quite," Colin assured her.

She looked between them and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Well, you've got my number when you change your mind." She winked at Bradley and walked briskly out of the room, glancing back with a smile.

Colin waved at her. "Cheers."

She glared.

He smiled.

Bradley laughed.

Turning back, Colin stepped away from Bradley and, hand on his hip, shot him a glare of his own. "Princess?"

Bradley shrugged innocently.

Colin sighed and took out Katie's car keys. "Come on, let's get these back to her. She's probably already inspected the car for damages.

"I would have," Bradley said, following Colin out of the room. 

Katie was in the cafeteria with Gwen and Lancelot and two others, a lean and tall guy and a dark-skinned lad, who were familiar to Colin, though he couldn't recall their names. When Katie saw him she held out her hand. 

Colin dropped the keys down into her awaiting palm and sat down. "I didn't wreck it." 

She smiled at him. "I saw," she laughed, glancing at Bradley before looking back at Colin, "I take it things went well?" 

Colin nodded and looked up at Bradley. "Sit?"

The blond shook his head. "Heading out for practice, get to miss my last period to get ready for this game," he said with a grin, nodding at the two sitting next to Lancelot. "Ready?"

Colin huffed. "I didn't know there was practice, do I get to miss last period?"

"Ehm," Bradley hummed and swept his hand through Colin's hair to push the fringes into his eyes, "no. Players only, I'm sure we'll manage without you, love." He stepped toward Katie and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "See you at home?" 

She squeezed his wrist and smiled. 

Colin looked between them smiled. Katie's eyes had lost their tired look and her smile was as bright as always, which gave him a certain relief. His eyes slid over to Gwen and Lancelot, who were leaning into each other before the latter pecked her lips and stood up to follow after Bradley and his teammates - Colin's teammates too he thought sheepishly. "Right, those two guys, what were their names?"

Gwen chuckled. "Come on, Colin. Don't even know your own team well enough?"

"The tall one was Percival and you really should know Elyan, Colin," Katie cut in, shaking her head. 

"Right, right," Colin hummed, trying to commit the names to memory.  "Percival and Elyan," he repeated. "Elyan," he echoed again, the gears in his mind turning with a painful screech. "Oh," he groaned, smiling tight-lipped at Gwen, "Elyan. Your brother." 

"Don't worry about it," Gwen said, waving her hand in the air, "it's not as though you've seen us together much at school." Side-glancing Katie, she leaned toward Colin and slyly grinned. "You should know Leon though, team favourite he is."

Colin caught the dark look Katie shot Gwen and sat back, curious. "I do know him, he's the only guy with a beard on the team. Is he someone's favourite in particular?" Before Gwen could answer him, Katie turned to him, purposely blocking Gwen with her body.

"So you spoke to Bradley?"

"Yeah," Colin said, "yeah, he's good. Well, he wasn't good, probably still isn't but he's okay, you know?"

Katie nodded gravely. "I'm getting tired of this, of them two at home."

Gwen poked her head into the conversation over Katie's shoulder. "At least Bradley will blow off some steam tomorrow at the game, yeah?"

Katie groaned. "Don't remind me. I swear every year he just gets worse," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm really starting to think he has a problem."

Colin perked up with interest. "What's that all about? I mean really, over some foul play from years ago?" he asked, furrowing his brows. 

"Long story short," Katie began, "Pendragon and Cenred have a professional rivalry, but to add to that, it's on a personal level for Bradley with Mordred because of all this horrible nonsense that happened around the time when his mother passed away between Uther and Mordred's dad. Mordred being a prick doesn't help. Every year, and I mean every year, when this game happens Bradley always loses it on the field, once even to a point where he nearly got kicked off the team for punching Mordred in the face." 

Colin slowly let her words sink in. "Bradley let himself almost get kicked off the team? And what nonsense?"

Katie waved her hand at him. "Nothing I want to get into, but half the reason everyone always comes to watch the game is to see if Bradley or Mordred will have a go at each other," she said in a disgusted tone. 

"Sometimes they leave it off the field," Gwen added, shrugging. "Remember that year after the game at the pub?" 

"Funny, Bradley never mentioned it," Colin mused, thinking on the game the next day with a new light. "Should I be worried?"

""I'm not going to say 'no'," Katie answered, standing up. "But, that's for tomorrow, let's get to class." 

As Colin followed behind the girls he had a decidedly bad feeling about the game; he'd seen Bradley be a jerk and even borderline furious, but the way the girls had described his feelings toward this Mordred guy seemed on a different level. He supposed the next day would resolve any questions about the subject. Katie didn't seem overly worried, he reflected, more annoyed really. He sighed and hoped for the best - not even for Bradley, but for himself, two injuries would send him onto the field and that he wished to avoid at all costs.  


	22. The Game

Colin furrowed his brows in concentration. _Right, right, right, right, right_. He moved to his right. Leon passed him to his left without a seconds hesitation. As if Colin weren't even there.

"Nice try Colin," Leon offered with a conciliatory smile, "but you should only move when I move. React to me."

"I thought for sure you were going to switch to left," Colin mumbled, straightening up and stopping the ball with his heel as it rolled over to him. He shook his head. "Again."

Leon smiled and put his foot out to receive the ball.

Colin kicked the ball back to him. "I'll get you this time," he said, putting a hand up in the air to forestall any comment from Leon. "I'm serious, watch."

They ran it again and this time Colin waited until Leon came all the way up to him before moving. Keep his eyes trained on Leon's hips and legs and managed to react to his body movement with much more accuracy. Not that he managed to stop Leon from twirling the ball away and around him with just as much ease.  _Damn_.

Leon, foot on top of the ball, spun around to face Colin. "Better."

Colin sent him a thumbs up. He looked down the field; Bradley was running a few manoeuvres with some team members, Lancelot included, to warm up. He was on the other side of the field, working on his defence, trying to help out as much as he could with practising. It was going rather well, he thought, and he was starting to feel more comfortable with the ball. The team was helpful in giving him pointers and he hoped he was managing to put some of their words of advice to use. He looked up into the sky, though cloudy, not threatening rain, he hoped. 

"Colin! Leon!" Edwin was motioning them to come over from the side. "Go help out with the bleachers, yeah?"

Colin nodded and went over with his teammate to roll out the metal seats. As they positioned them along the sides of the field Colin wondered how many would actually be filled. He checked his watch. An hour left. He absently glanced back over to Bradley. That man was in a right bad mood. All day he'd been frustratingly curt in his responses and tense, more and more so as the clock ticked.

"Do we get cheerleaders for our games?" he asked at random.

Leon snorted. "And why would that interest you?"

Colin wasn't quite sure how to react to that. "School...spirit?"

Putting an arm around his shoulder, Leon walked Colin back out onto the field still laughing to himself. "Sorry mate, didn't mean that as anything rude. But no, we don't get cheerleaders, just lovely, adoring fans."

Colin nodded. Leon was about a head taller than him and he squinted as Leon's dark blond hair brushed against the side of his face.

Leon ruffled Colin's hair and then winked at him before jogging over to Gwaine to kick the ball out from between his legs. The latter cried out in surprise and took off after him with an eager grin.

Colin flattened his hair and looked around the field to see if he was needed anywhere. He had left Bradley to himself after changing and spent more time making his rounds on the field, actually mingling with his teammates. People were beginning to show up and take their seats. He scanned the few faces for Katie – she had said that he would see her right away – but she hadn't shown up yet. However, on the far end of the field Colin noticed that Cenred had. The individual up front, leading his team, unzipped his jacket as he stepped onto the field. He experimentally dragged his cleat across the grass and then continued. Their uniforms were black, lined by royal blue. Colin raised a brow.

Pendragon went over to one side of the field and let Cenred have the other. Not so much as a word had been exchanged between the players. Edwin had gone over to chat with the other coach but that was about it for pleasantries.

Colin felt the hostility between the players in the air like an electric current and kept an eye on Bradley as he continued with practice. He went over to Lancelot. "Hey, ehm, is Mordred that one over there?" Colin pointed over to a Cenred played with sleek black hair and pale skin, not unlike himself, he thought.

Lancelot nodded. "Yeah, hell of a good player," he commented, with nothing but respect in his voice. "Little bit of a prick though."

Colin hummed. "I still don't get it, this thing with him and Bradley. They haven't even spoken and Bradley's been in a mood for the better half of the day," he said with disbelief. "Bloody melodramatic."

Leon jogged over with Elyan at his heels and chuckled. "Bradley's always in a mood," he said matter of factly, "especially about that guy."

"Let's just hope he keeps it under control this year," Elyan added, looking down the field at his captain. "Even though I really liked watching Mordred get clocked in the face," he said with a laugh.

Lancelot snorted. "Sported a bruise for a month just about after that."

The four of them watched as Mordred walked over to Bradley and stuck his hand out in greeting. Bradley slowly shook his hand. Mordred leaned in close and said something into Bradley's ear, a slow smile creeping onto his face. Colin frowned when Bradley pushed him off and walked away. 

"I think it's all a load of nonsense," Colin commented, looking over at Leon. Leon put an arm around him from one side and Lancelot put an arm around him from the other.

"Welcome to the team," they said in unison. Elyan shook his head at the lot of them but smiled. 

Bradley made his way over to them then and eyed the two men who had their arms around Colin. He glanced between them. "Right, off you guys go."

"Try not to let him mess with your head, eh Captain?" Leon winked at Bradley and then patted Colin on the shoulder before taking off down the field with Elyan and Lancelot.

Colin watched them go with a small smile. He turned to Bradley. "Ready for the game?" He stepped over and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

Bradley shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Colin looked over the thickening crowd that were filling up the available seats. He snorted in amusement. Katie did say that he would find her easily... She was wearing a bright yellow jacket, highlighter yellow, and waving at him. He waved back with a wide grin. Gwen was with her, sporting a black coat and smiled at him from a distance. His grin faltered. "Oh man," he laughed and waved again. "My mum's with them."

Bradley lifted a hand in the general direction which Colin had waved in and took a deep breath. "Just about to start then." 

Colin butted Bradley's shoulder. "Be good," he said, brushing his hand briefly along Bradley's cheek. "Good luck." 

Bradley shot him a quick smile. "Thanks." He stretched out his legs and then went off to centre field.

Colin ambled to over to the sidelines and sat down on the bench. It was ten minutes to the game; the teams were lining up and shaking hands and all around the field the bleachers were bulging with people, chatting noisily. Colin spied Uther amidst the crowd sitting on the bleachers closest to him. He smiled because the man's eyes were so obviously trained on his son. Colin looked back out just as the team captain's came up and the referee flipped a coin. It went to Cenred.

The minute the ball hit the ground the crowd erupted into cheers. The ball made it down to Pendragon's net fast enough but they managed to gain possession after a little tussle. There was a lot of back and forth passing for both teams as they fell into a comfortable pattern. The game picked up when Cenred made it past Pendragon's defence and shot. It was blocked more or less easily, but it nevertheless strained a few nerves. Pendragon came back hard.

Bradley let his team move the ball freely and waited for a good moment to push forward. They handled the ball well and kept it from the opposing team. Well fleshed out on the field they passed it between them, feeling their way around Cenred's players. Bradley spotted an opening and raised his arm. The ball was at his feet in seconds and he wasted no time. Leon paralleled him in running forward and they moved the ball between each other until Elyan and Gwaine came up from behind. The four of them snaked through Cenred's defence and when he had the perfect shot, Bradley was ready with a full force kick. He kicked and the ball shot out. It had a chance of being a goal, had not Mordred jumped up and chest pumped it out of the way. The resounding smack the ball made against his chest outdid the cheering crowd.

Colin was up on his feet and cringed when he heard the thud, remembering the feel of the ball against his face. He followed the ball with his eyes as it flew away from the net and then watched as Mordred sauntered by Bradley and pushed him with his shoulder. Bradley's ensuing glare made Colin worry his bottom lip and he sighed and sat down.

Both teams were equally matched. Neither let up the ball easily and the players began to release their impatience on each other, causing the ref to keep blowing his whistle to remind the guys that if things got to fists there would be trouble, though no yellow cards had been given. Colin watched with his heart in his throat every time Pendragon made it close to Cenred's net. Then his heart would lurch with every kick and just as quickly drop with every block. The game was nearing the thirty minute mark and it was 0-0. Colin was a bit worried about the level of hostility the players were getting at, they'd brush past each other and knock about with shoulders and hips, whatever they could. No foaming at the mouth or snarling at least, he thought.

The first goal went to Pendragon. It was Gwaine who had kicked it, aided by Bradley and Leon, and it had just barely slipped past the goalie who had dropped to the ground too late. Colin and the rest of team on the bench jumped to their feet, howling and cheering. Gwaine was drowned in a pile of bodies as everyone celebrated the goal.

The game continued with even more vigor after that, with Pendragon uplifted by their lead. Cenred fought back with everything they had. Mordred led his team up to Pendragon's defence line over and over again, battering at their door with force. The defence was joined by the forward players as they tried to keep Cenred away from their net, but Mordred just kept coming.

Colin was stunned with the footwork going on. Feet went to the right and the ball to the left and Colin had no idea what the hell was going on. Cenred had possession and it was ten minutes until the whistle would blow for a much needed break. They were holding back and passing the ball around easily enough. Both teams were playing wary.

But they couldn't play safe forever so they went in for a goal. The ball was passed around the centre and Colin could already anticipate what was going to happen. Mordred had rounded about the side and was waiting to get the ball. He was covered right away by two players. Bradley was trying to intercept the ball. Mordred got away from the two Pendragon players and sped forward. When he got the ball he was converged upon right away. Colin looked on as Bradley went to Mordred, needlessly he thought, there were more than enough people to block him. Bradley's choice left his position on the field open and Mordred took the chance to push through the men blocking him and take a strike at the net. Realizing his mistake, Bradley tried to run back to cover his open position, but Leon had already moved in and upon seeing Bradley made to get out of the way, which brought him directly into the path of the ball. Unable to move out of its way fast enough or position himself to stop it with anything but his hands, the full force of it smacked into his face. Leon crumpled to the ground. Everyone in the bleachers and on both team's benches stood up in the echo of the slap of the ball against Leons skin.

Colin watched as his teammates went to Leon's side. All except one. Bradley marched toward Mordred, fists balled. He'd hardly even glanced at Leon. The referee blew his whistle and jogged over to the fallen player. Hell even Cenred's players had walked over to see if Leon was alright. Colin looked over all their heads at Bradley and swallowed down his anger. He took off down the field without thinking.

"Oi!" Edwin bellowed. "Colin! Get back 'ere!"

Colin ignored his coach and kept running. "Bradley!" Bradley didn't even flinch. "Bradley!" Fuming, Colin shoved himself between Bradley and Mordred and pushed the blond away. Bradley just looked over his shoulder and started to walk back over to Cenred's captain. Colin grabbed him by his shirt and threw him onto the ground roughly. That got his attention. Bradley looked up at him darkly and Colin stood above him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Bradley stood up and met Colin, nostrils flaring.

Colin grabbed Bradley's jaw and turned it to Leon's direction. "You see that? That's your teammate over there, a teammate you let down. If you weren't too busy with your stupid bullshit with that guy!" He pointed back at Mordred. 

Bradley shook him off with a grunt. 

"The skinny lad sounds like he's right, Pendragon, might want to listen," Mordred commented with an amused tone. 

Colin turned to him. "Sod off you prick!" He turned back to Bradley. "If you'd paid attention to the game and not him, you could have stopped that ball and Leon wouldn't be over there with a bloody concussion." Bradley looked at him and let out a harsh breath, his chest rising and falling quickly. Without a word, but sparing another glanced at Mordred, Bradley turned on his heel and jogged over to where his teammates were pulling Leon onto his feet. 

Colin exhaled heavily and shook his head, returning to the bench where Edwin, with arms crossed, met him. 

"Sorry, did I say that you were going to play?"

"No coach," Colin answered.

"Then why exactly were you on the field?" Edwin cocked his head.

"I'm sorry."

Edwin sighed. "Did you sort him out?"

Colin looked up. "No idea."

Edwin waved him back to his seat.

Colin sat down and watched with immense relief as Leon waved everyone's concern away and shook his head before signalling the ref with a thumbs up. The crowd clapped and cheered and Colin clapped along. He looked across the field and found Katie who seemed to be straining over the backs of the people seated in front of her to see Leon. His gaze travelled back down the field and found Bradley, who had his hand on Leon's shoulder, lips moving rapidly at Leon's ear. Better be apologizing, Colin thought. Leon smiled at Bradley and patted his shoulder. 

Colin exhaled his frustration and slouched over. He aimlessly looked over at Uther and froze. The cold grey eyes on him were unreadable, but intense. Colin lifted his hand and let it fall, swallowing harshly.  Uther stared at him for a moment longer and then nodded, acknowledging him briefly, barely at all, but still acknowledging him.

Colin turned away, as if in slow motion.

The whistle blew and the teams went to their separate sides to rest up before the finishing half of the game would begin. Colin carefully watched Bradley walk over and drop down on the far end of the bench, exhaling loudly, the sweat from his temple dripping down until it reached the collar of his jersey. Despite being partially aroused by the sight, Colin was still angry and though he would have preferred to stay on his end of the bench, he stood up and walked over. He left a considerable amount of space between them when he sat, and wordlessly handed Bradley a water bottle, which the blond took and downed in nearly a minute. He felt Bradley slide down the bench until their thighs touched, but said nothing. Hesitantly at first, but then carelessly, he turned and placed his hand lightly at the back of Bradley's neck. 

He watched the crowd chatter and laugh, many holding cups of steaming coffee or tea from the cafe near the school. Katie was raving about something it seemed, apparently quite funny, because Gwen and his mum were laughing brightly. He glanced over at the scoreboard. Pendragon 1 Cenred 0. Fouls a plenty. No cards. The clock ticked down the last few minutes of the break.

Bradley dropped his hand down to Colin's thigh. The clock stole the precious few last minutes he had before the second half. He glanced over at Cenred, watching Mordred stretch his arms out and then his legs. The disdain he felt for him bubbled up in his stomach. Quietly sighing he looked away. He planned to win this game, without leaving another one of his players on the ground because of a careless mistake. He squeezed Colin's thigh. Didn't look at him, but wordlessly told him. _Thanks._

During the second half, Colin couldn't help feeling a bit smug, couldn't help feeling that this was, in part, due to him. Arms crossed, squeezing his chest until it hurt to keep a full blown grin from stretching, he crossed one leg over the other. Maybe he should have punched Bradley earlier, made a stronger point, but he supposed, the throw to ground (he still wondered at that rush of adrenaline) had been enough to make Bradley remember he had a team to play for. Of course, his loathing for Mordred was still plain every time they even came close on the field, but somehow he seemed more focused, more intent on himself and on the friends around him. Pendragon was blazing a trail down the field. A winning streak. Sort of. Not really. Well they'd gone up one goal, not a winning streak, but still, it had caused an eruption of screaming.

Oh yes, Colin thought, he would take some of the credit for Bradley's newfound focus. It was all he could do since he wasn't playing. He watched now as Leon ran smoothly with the ball, dancing around any opposition, sliding the sphere out of the way of prying feet at the last moment, if anything simply to cause peoples nerves to tighten.

Finally the ball was taken from him. A bit of karma for his showing off. Colin had to laugh, even with Cenred flying down the field. He wasn't expecting them to score. They did. _Oh._ Still riding high on the last goal, Colin didn't feel so put down. They still had the lead. However, it did cause the team to remember that the game hadn't ended just yet.

Colin looked on as Bradley rallied his teammates. He wasn't worried as he watched Bradley shove Mordred out of his way. Pendragon would win. They'd play Cenred again before the season was over, but this game was theirs. Colin lifted his eyes to the clock; less than half an hour left.

He felt a soft flow of cool air as the wind picked up. The grey sky was bright but began to darken slowly. Colin wondered if it would rain again. Not yet, he thought, and focused back on the field just as the goalie propelled the ball over the green grass and right to Elyan. Gwen's brother wasted no time in passing the ball and it was at Leon's feet and then at Bradley's in all of what felt like ten seconds.

Mordred was waiting for him, though, smile adorning his face (handsome face, Colin had to admit). The Cenred captain challenged Bradley and the blond met him, clashing, chest to chest, both wrestling with the ball. Bradley tried to get around Mordred, push straight past him, knock him off balance, anything, but Mordred held. Leon, off to the side, probed the defensive players around him, trying to slip through.

Colin stood up. _Pass it._ Leon snaked in behind Bradley, just a little to his right. _Pass it, Bradley._ He didn't doubt that the blond was aware of Leon's movements, but he didn't offer the ball up. _Pass it, damn you!_

Bradley dropped his foot down in front of the ball and pushed it back with one swift tap.

Colin unclenched his fist. He wondered what Bradley was feeling now. Pissed. He smiled.

"Colin," Edwin called him over and motioned his head back with a short nod. "Fill up the bottles."

Colin stared at him.

"Water boy, remember?" His coach winked.

Oh. Colin stood. Right. He gathered up the empty water bottles littering the ground and went to fill them up at the dispenser, keeping an eye on the game. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until there was only little over ten minutes left. Colin finished with the bottles quickly and he was just finishing up when Edwin switched Bradley out of the game. Colin thought hard as a short haired player sitting on the bench was called up. The youth shook his limbs as he waited for Bradley to come off from the field. Owen, Colin decided, only half sure of the guy's name.

Many eyes left the game for a few moments to watch Pendragon's star player. Bradley, ever aware of the gaze he attracted, dragged his fingers slowly through his damp hair, he grinned at the crowd and raised an arm in the air. Victory.

Colin scoffed. He lifted a brow sceptically as Bradley walked over.

"What?" Bradley asked innocently. "Just pleasing my fans," he explained as he sat down.

Colin smiled and sat down with him, leaning over. "There's really only one fan you should be concerned with pleasing," he whispered. 

Bradley turned slightly, their faces mere centimetres apart. His eyes dropped down to Colin's lips. "Is that so?" His voice was low.

"Mhhm," Colin hummed and let his lips part slightly.

Bradley traced the form of Colin's lips with his eyes and leaned in.

Pulling back sharply, Colin smacked his hand into Bradley's face and pushed him back.

Bradley closed his right eye as Colin's finger poked into it and gently peeled Colin's hand off of his face. "Alright?"

Colin offered him an apologetic tight-lipped smile. "Don't think your father would appreciate that," he said quietly, dragging his gaze up over Bradley's head to where Uther was sitting.

Closing both his eyes, Bradley sighed. "Is he looking?"

"Yeah," Colin answered, smiling crookedly at Bradley's father. 

Bradley's eyes snapped open. "Good." He grabbed the back of Colin's neck and crushed their lips together, only tightening his hold when he felt Colin pulling back, resisting. He forced Colin's mouth open with his insisting tongue.

Not here, Colin thought, flushing. He made a sort of plea somewhere in his throat and was answered with Bradley's tongue on his. The shock that simple touch sent down his spine made him less resistant to Bradley but he was still hyper aware of what they were doing and pushed at Bradley again. They pulled apart with a pop, their lips open, fiery red. Colin couldn't even bear to open his eyes, still tasting Bradley on his tongue.

With a hand still cupping Colin's neck, Bradley chuckled breathlessly. His laughter melted into a low groan. "I've barely touched you all day."

Colin could feel his pulse quicken, a lustful throb deep in his belly making him shift. "After the game," he said in a near moan. He cleared his throat. "Not now," he said, opening his eyes and looking at Bradley seriously, "don't do that again." Slowly, almost uneasily, he opened his eyes. He looked up.

Uther was watching the game. If he'd seen them, and Colin felt he most certainly had, he at least had the grace to ignore them. Next, Colin looked over at Edwin. Mouth open, ready to speak, or maybe just open in shock, he stared and then just shook his head and turned away. Colin glanced at the rest of their team on the bench, all obviously looking anywhere but at them, awkwardly shifting in their seats, not really knowing what to do with themselves.

"WOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Colin turned his head to the distant cry. One yellow jacketed figure was bobbing up and down, jumping in the stands, flailing her arms, cheering and grinning. Oh hell. Colin looked back at Bradley, saw the amused glint in his eye and grinned.

Then the ref was suddenly blowing the whistle and then everyone was up, cheering, clapping and hugging each other. The game was over.

Bradley took Colin's hand and stood up. They both watched as the Pendragon players ran up to each other with congratulatory grins and cheers. Cenred players sat down on the grass, fatigued and disappointed. Mordred dispassionately looked around him.

Colin let go of Bradley's hand and pushed him forward. "Come on," he  said, nudging him. "You should be out there too."

Bradley smiled and extended his hand back to Colin. "We," he said, his eyes glowed tenderly, "we should be out there." 

Colin took the offered hand but then dropped it and started running. "Well come one then!"

Bradley stood still for a moment and with a bemused shake of his head went after him.

Colin ran up to Lancelot, encircled by players and pushed his way through Leon, Elyan, and Gwaine, amongst others, colliding into Leon's chest. He glanced up and smiled when Leon's arm encircled him. "Great game! How's your head?" 

Leon smiled. "It's fine." 

Bradley came up and was admitted to the circle with open arms.

"We won, Captain!" Leon cried, pumping his fist in the air.

Bradley looked them all over silently. He smirked."Of course we won."

Colin rolled his eyes and then joined in the laughter.

"Good game."

The unfamiliar voice, low and dry, made everyone turn. Mordred drew his eyes around at each one of them and stuck his hand out.

Bradley looked down at his hand and shrugged. Nobody else moved.

Colin looked between Mordred and his team, scoffing. "Oh bloody hell," he  huffed, pushing out of Leon's hold to slap his hand into Mordred's."You guys played brilliantly," he smiled, "you have a hell of a kick." He shook Mordred's hand vigorously. 

Mordred raised a brow and then chuckled. Thanks..."

Colin brightened and then clapped him on the shoulder before turning away. He looked at Bradley's face, stricken with betrayal, and patted his cheek. "Man up," he said gruffly, trying for an American accent.

Leon cut in before Bradley could answer. "Drinks! Drinks! Drinks!" He was joined right away and the chant went up across to their benches.

Edwin yelled above all of them. "Alright guys, go get changed and we'll meet at the pub in twenty minutes!"

The cheering that ensued was deafening and Colin held his hands up to his ears, laughing. Edwin slapped everyone passing by him on the back, congratulating them on the win.

Colin walked with Bradley.

"Can't believe you shook his hand," Bradley said, clicking his tongue. "He's a right arse, that guy."

Colin ignored him but then grinned slyly. "I thought the same thing about you when I first met you," he said in a mock-pensive tone. "Now, quick shower and let's get to the pub." 

Bradley side glanced him, his lashes coming down cryptically. "We could always...meet them later."

"That would be rude," Colin admonished, holding back a grin. He stopped short and his lips parted. "We've got the dance in a couple of hours too, I have to help Katie out," he said, "don't think I have time for more than an hour at the pub."  He chewed on his bottom lip. "I feel like I'm forgetting something."

"You are," Bradley said with a nod, adding without missing a beat, "we never got masks, which don't worry, I will kindly procure."  

Colin huffed and then sighed. "Oh, good, good; Katie would have been angry." 

"Yours is pink." 

Colin punched Bradley. 

Bradley laughed and then rolled his eyes. "Oh no! We don't have masks," he cried in a high pitched voice, mockingly grimacing and feigning tears.

Colin elbowed him. "Oh, shut up."

"Come on," Bradley said in a soothing tone, lacing his arm lazily around Colin's shoulder. "Let's go celebrate."

Colin leaned into him with a small smile and then pulled away slowly, wrinkling his nose. "After you take a shower that is." 

Bradley stopped and lifted his arm, taking a whiff. "Oi!" He took off after Colin. "I smell wonderful!"

Colin changed quickly and went to wait outside of the changing room for Bradley, a safe distance from the blonds wandering fingers. He checked his phone and there was a message from Katie that read:

_Hey._

_Do not forget that you have to be at school around 7 and do NOT get drunk at the pub,_

_Ciao x_

Colin nodded at his phone and then put it in his pocket. The hallway he was in was lit minimally and the silence was discomfiting. Colin went over to one of the benches and sat down. He looked to his right at the emptiness that made the hallway look wide, usually, packed with students they always seemed to him incredibly narrow. He looked to his left. Leaning back, he exhaled and thought about going in to drag Bradley out of the shower. He decided against it, knowing that the odds of him ending up in the shower were probably higher than Bradley ending up out of it. Most of the team had left already, eager to get bladdered and it was him, Bradley and maybe two or three other people left.

The door opened and Colin smiled at his passing teammates as they left. He sat back and checked his watch. "Quick shower", he scoffed and tapped his foot impatiently against the granite floor. Taking a quick look from side to side he pursed his lips and stood up, swaying on the balls of his feet for a moment. He crossed his arms behind his back innocently and made for the change room. After all, no one was left but him and Bra-

"Hello."

Colin froze. Froze as if whoever behind him had read his thoughts. He turned quickly. "Hello," he croaked, swallowing against the sudden dryness of his throat. "Ehm, hi," he stuttered, surprised. "Bradley..." he said while clearing his throat and pointed behind him. "Well he's just getting ready to go...would you like me to...ehm..." he trailed off uncertainly.

Uther raised his hand up in the air, signaling for Colin to calm down. The gesture was oddly regal.

Colin dropped his head down, sneaking a breath. He looked back up into Uther's face.

"Today, on the field," Uther started, his voice deep. "You showed a most extraordinary loyalty, I suppose." His eyes glinted with unease.

Colin's own widened slightly. "It is...my job, in a way, Sir." He kicked himself mentally. My job?

Uther studied him silently.

"Well," Colin said and paused, not knowing how to broach the matter without making Uther uncomfortable, "you could say that there is a bond between us." He swallowed again but the tension in his back eased. "I care for him."

Uther shifted and seemed to reach an arm out, but reigned it back at the last moment. His lips moved uncertainly. Finally he spoke. "I'm glad," he said, looking into Colin's eyes. "Look after him."

Colin stopped breathing under the weight of those words. He couldn't move, couldn't even nod. He just stared.

"Tell Bradley I was here," Uther said finally, gaze lifting from the boy. "I congratulate him on the game." Turning around, he made a swift exit and the echoing thud of door closing was like a bomb in the silence.

Colin staggered to the bench and sat down in disbelief. Their conversation fast forwarded through his head on a loop. _Look after him._

"I waited for you in the shower," Bradley said with a pout, looking down at Colin from where he was leaning against the door. He crossed his arms. "You never came." He stared accusingly.

Colin slowly turned to him. "Your father congratulates you on the win."

Bradley straightened up and walked over to the bench, squatting down in front of Colin. He looked up into his eyes searchingly. "Are you okay?"

Colin smiled at him. Okay? He was relieved, so relieved. A bit of the pressure was off of Bradley's shoulders. He reached up and dragged his knuckles softly along Bradley's jaw. "I'm fine," he sighed, dropping his forehead down. "Really good, actually."

Bradley peered into Colin's face dubiously but relented. "We're going to be late." He stood.

"Thanks to who?" Colin leaned back and looked at Bradley expectantly.

Bradley grimaced and went to retrieve his bag. "If you had just joined me..." he grumbled over his shoulder.

Colin smiled and slung his bag over one shoulder.

They walked out into a near empty parking lot and got into Bradley's car, making it to the pub only ten minutes late. There were drinks and cheers waiting for them.

As everyone celebrated their victory over Cenred and raised their glasses, Colin raised his in celebration of another victory. A small victory, maybe not even a victory at all. Who knew? He looked across the table at Bradley, grinning as his glass clinked with the others and droplets of beer went flying around the table. "Cheers!" They all cried.

Colin smiled.

_Cheers._


	23. Masquerade

Colin sighed and studied himself in the mirror. He carelessly ran his fingers through his bangs and swept them to the right, then the left, tousled the unruly waves behind his ears and it made little difference. He grimaced.

"Och, Colin, don't make that face."

Colin looked at his mum through the reflection. "What face?" He tugged on his tie, loosening it. Too loose. He tightened it. Too tight. His frown deepened.

"That face," his mum said. "You look perfect," she said, walking over to him to gently straighten his tie. "Is Bradley picking you up?"

Colin shook his head. "I'm to meet up with him later, got to help Katie out first over at the school."

"Oh," Hunith said quietly. "I was hoping to see him. He'll be so handsome in a suit," she mused. 

Colin turned to the mirror again. He let out an exasperated sigh and tugged at his cuffs. "I know, I know," he said under his breath.

Hunith peered at him for a moment and then stifled a giggle, bringing her fingers up to her lips to conceal a smile. "Oh sweetheart, is that why you're all a fuss?"

Colin side glanced her. "What are you going on about?"

Hunith merely smiled. "Come on, I'll walk you out."

Colin let her wind her arm through his.

"When will you get back?"

"Late. Don't wait up."

"Will you be coming home tonight?"

"Dunno, mum. There's no real plan, but if I don't come home, I'll call in the morning yeah?"

"Staying over at Bradley's?"

Colin paused mid-step in the doorway. Awkward. No matter how innocently she'd asked. "As I said, nothing is planned," he repeated, beginning to flush at the thought of staying at Bradley's. The mere fact that it would be an option seemed to him surreal. 

Hunith blew him a swift kiss and waved as he left.

Colin rounded the driveway and walked briskly down the sidewalk, checking his watch. The sun was beginning to set and there was a muddy blend of orange and purple in the sky, a sheer grey sheet muffing the colours. He craned his neck up and could just barely see some stars in certain patches.

"Colin!"

Up ahead, Gwen was waving to him from her porch. Lancelot stepped out beside her. Colin waved at them and jogged the rest of the way. "Hey!"

Gwen skipped down over to him and hugged him. "You look great!" 

"Compared to you?" Colin shook his head. Gwen's ballgown was a stunning yellow, flattering her skin with a honey-brown glow. Her shoulders were bare, the material just hovering a little below them. Her creamy laced bodice was tight, accenting her natural curves before the dress fanned out around her, scrunching together half way down so as to reign in some of the material. A sparkling yellow broach was pinned at the top of her dress; she wasn't wearing a necklace and her skin was smooth and looked soft. She wore elbow length satin gloves. He reached out and took one of her gloved hands and bowed down with a light kiss. "You look beautiful."

She blushed and glanced over her shoulder at her boyfriend. Cocking an eyebrow she stared at him expectantly. "See what a true gentleman does?"

Lancelot blew her a kiss and came down to join them. "Nice suit, Colin."

Colin straightened up and gave Lancelot a quick look over. "Not bad," he replied with a wink.

"Oi!" Lancelot punched him. "Damn expensive, this suit. Deserves better than a 'not bad'."

"You look very handsome," Gwen cooed. "The both of you do."

"Alright, we'd best be off," Lancelot said and dug his keys out of his pocket, twirling them around his finger as he went over to his car. Gwen went after him, mumbling about forcing all her dress material into the car.

Colin sat in the back of Lancelot's sedan and gazed out of his tinted window as they backed out. He hated dancing. Couldn't do it. He sunk into his leather seat and hoped he'd at least not trip over himself and fall. Bradley could probably dance very well, he thought. He smiled. He thought Bradley could do anything really, or at least, that's what his character seemed to emit. Then again, he was biased beyond belief.

"What are you smiling about back there?" Lancelot peered at him through his front mirror.

"Nothing," Colin answered quietly. "Just focus on the road, eh?"

Colin had been true to his word and arrived at Pendragon College sober and on time; clean and dressed, ready to help.

Katie rushed him inside, leaving Gwen and Lancelot trailing behind. "You're late!"

"Actually, I'm early," Colin returned, raising his wrist to present his watch as evidence.  It was 6:58.

"Late," she repeated. "We're more or less done, just moving out the last tables and chairs."

Colin nodded slowly.

"Great job at the game today."

"I didn't play..."

"No," Katie agreed, smiling, "but you did get Bradley to. Roughing him up like that," she said with a chuckle. 

Colin slyly glanced at her. "Yeah..." he paused. "Uther appreciated it."

Katie slowed down, casting him a curious look. "Pardon?"

Colin stopped and turned to face her, words tumbling past his lips before he could consciously frame them. "He came to see Bradley later, the team had gone, and I was waiting outside the locker room and he told he me was glad, Katie, 'glad' and then he said 'look after him', to my face." 

Katie pursed her lips sceptically, not quite being able to imagine the scene. Trying to think up a reason Uther might say something like that, she was quiet.

"I'm not putting you on, that's what he said," Colin hurried to say, eyes bright.

She shook her head.

He visibly deflated. "Tell me it means something good," he implored her. "It has to."

She half smiled. "I'm not exactly..." she sucked in her bottom lip, thinking. "I'm surprised, really." She kept quiet for a moment and then her features softened and she smiled. "But it's definitely something good. Acceptance, maybe?"

Colin stared at her with a mix of excitement and uncertainty not entirely sure of how serious she was.

"Next step, PFLAG."

He burst out laughing. They'd made a bit of a joke out of it, but at the same time, Colin felt relieved. It meant something.

"Did you tell Bradley? He probably didn't believe you."

Colin winced slightly. "I..." he blinked innocently "didn't mention it actually."

Katie just barely glanced at him and then shrugged. "Well, alright, we've got to finish here. Let's go."

When they got to the cafeteria doors Colin stepped towards them, reaching an arm out for a handle. Katie yanked him back and then shook her head. She gripped both handles, winked at him, and in one fluid motion let the full view assail him.

Walking into the room, Colin couldn't comprehend that this was his school cafeteria. All the tables and chairs had been moved and the space had doubled in size. It was the first time he'd even noticed the floor too, all shining dark wood as if it were glazed over with a thin coat of glass. It reflected the light coming from the chandelier. Chandelier? Colin pointed up and looked over at Katie incredulously.

"Got that put in for the occasion," she said proudly. She smiled and leaned against the door, arms folded, smirking. The crystals reflected in her dark eyes as she looked up.

Colin shook his head and half-smiled, turning back to the transformed room. There were blooming flowers overflowing out of glittering vases placed carefully around the room, splashes of whites and lavenders, soft but elegant. A long, off-white and purplish curtain was hung over the length of the cafeteria windows, coming down to gently brush the floor.  There were tables set up on one side of the room decorated with candles, cream white plates with gleaming silver cutlery and lavender napkins. Room had been made to dance and there were chairs and stands set up in the far corner for a small, intimate band. Carts had been rolled in along one wall with all sorts of hors d'oeuvres and drinks. 

"Never been to a school dance like this before," Colin mused, surprised by the quality of it all. He'd sort of forgotten over the past few months exactly what kind of school he'd been enrolled in. He had so easily melted into the scene that it only now really occurred to him. Looking around the room, he began to feel a bit like the boy who had first walked through the large oak doors to Pendragon. 

"Why is he here?"

Colin turned and smiled politely. "Hello, Vivian."

"Colin." Katie stressed his name with an accompanying sneer directed at Vivian. "He's helping me move the last tables out. Which, by the way Colin, are right over there," she added and pointed him over to the far corner where three tables were huddled together.

"We get dinner as well?"

"No feast or anything, but yeah we've got food."

"Have you guys done masquerades before?"

Vivian sniggered.

Katie shot her a menacing glare. "Yes, once. It was my first time organizing something so big and -"

" -it sucked," Vivian interjected and raised an eyebrow innocently.

Colin took a step back. "Well, I'll get to the tables now, yeah?" He was dutifully ignored and silently made his exit. It took him around ten minutes to get the first table out. Originally he thought to take them over to one of the rooms inside the school but Katie had pointed him out onto the terrace. He kept scuffing his shoes and cursed his way along until he dropped the bloody thing off outside. He grudgingly went back for another one.

"Need some help?"

Lancelot came over and took hold of one side of the table. Colin nodded at him gratefully as they hauled it out.

"Have you seen Katie's dress?"

"Nope, she hasn't put it on yet," he replied with a grunt as they set the table down. He pulled his sleeve up and checked the time; just little over half an hour left. "Are all the dances here like this?" He asked as they went back for the last table.

"Oh this is nothing really," Lancelot answered. "This is what we'd call small-scale actually."

"Are you serious? This?" He pointed around the room. "This is small-scale?"

Lancelot laughed. "Oh God, did you live in the sticks before you came here or what?"

Colin shook his head. "You people are daft."

The third table was taken from their hands by two volunteers helping out with the preparations and they quickly threw a silk cover over the sleek wood and set down plates, cutlery and napkins followed one after the other. The terrace was lit by lanterns, strung overhead against the wall. Lavender, Colin noted. It was much darker outside now, but it wasn't too cold and though the sky had greyed, the rain held back. 

"I'm going to go find Gwen," Lancelot said and went back inside.

Colin hummed in acknowledgement and then casually looked around. He could hear conversations behind him and thought people would be arriving in flocks soon. He looked down at his black shoes, gleaming, ready to dance. He chuckled quietly to himself. The melodic hum of violins reached his ears then and he closed his eyes for a moment, appreciating the drawn out notes. Taking a slow breath, he inhaled the night air and then made his way into the cafeteria.

He frowned at the number of people there already. A poofy dress shoved him to the left and a squeaky apology followed as the girl tried to reign in the mass of material. He awkwardly smiled at her and stepped away. He peered over the heads of the attendees as he tried to find Katie. The room was a sea of all shades of blues, reds, greens, purples, pinks and yellow. Figures in black clad suits swam through the rainbow currents, a bright colour beside each one, arms entwined. Colin focused on the yellow dresses, trying to spy Gwen in the crowd. The ruffle of dresses created a sort of odd background noise to all the chattering and the violins.

"Colin!"

Turning in relief, Colin apologetically pushed his way through to Gwen. Katie wasn't with her. "Hey! There are so many people here!"

"Loads every time," Gwen said."Themed dances get everyone all excited, masquerades for the girls especially."

Colin stuck close to her and carefully surveyed the room. "Seen Bradley?"

Gwen scoffed.

He cast her a puzzled glance.

Sniggering, she looped her arm through his. "You should know better."

Confused, he let her lead them towards the tiny band. "Where are we going?" He was ignored and then as he looked ahead smiled. "Oh," he murmured as they came over to Katie. "Oh wow," Colin said, eyebrows lifting.

Katie brushed her dark curls over her bare shoulders and raised an eyebrow. "Nice, huh?"

Colin laughed. "You look amazing," he commented as his eyes took in her dress. The colour was a deep emerald and it was tight and low cut. Her figure was deliciously defined against the sparkling material and though the dress flared near her knees, it was tame compared to many of the other dresses he'd seen. Light gold embroidery framed her waist. He couldn't help his eyes from moving across her chest and up her long neck to her glossed over lips. "I'm almost tempted," he admitted, chuckling.

Katie shrugged. "Your loss, love." She pecked him on the cheek and then rubbed her thumb across it to remove the lipstick stain. "The only bad thing about these dresses is that you don't get to show off your legs. And I've got great ones."

Gwen giggled. "Makes them wonder though, don't it?"

"True," Katie agreed and laughed, wrapping an arm around Gwen's waist.

Colin shook his head and smiled. He locked his hands behind his back and watched the throng of dresses in the room shuffle about. The girls were admiring each others clothing and fiddling with each others jewelry. The guys converged into small groups and shamelessly pointed out the girls with the lowest cut dresses. Most people had their masks either in their hands or wrapped by a string around their wrists. Many had feathers and almost all of them were either gold or silver with coloured jewels on the edges of the eye holes.

A trio of girls walked by him then, whispering. One of them asked: "When's he coming?"

Another: "Do you think he'll dance with me if I ask?"

"I think he has a boyfriend."

"He's gay?!"

Their giggling trailed off as they left and Colin rolled his eyes. The "he" whom they were referring to was easy enough to figure out. And speaking of...where was he?

Katie's voice teasingly answered him. "Your charming Prince should be coming soon."

Colin side glanced her. Were his thoughts so transparent? She winked at him and he grimaced.

"I'm going to find Leon," she told him before disappearing into the crowd. Her strides were graceful and her chin held up high, her strong neck bare. Lustful and jealous eyes followed her progress.

A familiar face nervously jumped out of Katie's way and the boy flushed pink when she offered him a small smile. Colin tried to place him and could only vaguely remember seeing him in one of his classes. English? The plump figure quickly and timidly asked people to move out of the way. He spoke rapidly and had the doorway cleared in a few minutes.

Colin watched with interest. Was this something Katie had planned?

Gwen heaved an exasperated sigh beside him and Lancelot chuckled.

Colin looked over at them questioningly. Then he remembered where he'd seen that kid. Bradley had tripped him during class and Colin had gotten up to help. Turning his attention back to the door he watched as the boy slipped out and then shuffled back in, standing off to the side.

The hall had quieted down some, eyes on the door, and the violins had picked up in volume. A curious murmur had been taken up by the crowd.

A figure stepped in view, exactly centre between the open double doors and carefully slipped his finger through his collar, flattening it nicely. His suit was as black as anyone else's but yet better, somehow richer, darker even. His hair was blond.

A few girls nearest to the door brought their hands up to their chests, eyelids hooding over as they swooned. Most of the guys switched between looking pissed off and begrudgingly respectful.

Colin eyes nearly rolled out of their sockets. He shook his head.

Bradley took a breath, breathing in the rapt attention. He gently brushed his fingers through his silky hair and put one hand in his pocket as he surveyed the room. Smirking he slowly made his way further into the hall, glancing over at a few girls and winking at a few others. They all chattered excitedly as he did and could barely contain their squeals.

A few of his mates came over and patted him on the shoulder, shaking their heads. He casually nodded at them and then sent them off. After all, he had a certain lady, well, not really lady...more like man, to attend to. He dropped his smirk as he spied Colin, instead raising his eyebrows innocently.

Colin tried not to frown as Bradley made his way over to him, casually working the crowd with subtle glances and smirks. He left a wake of rosy cheeked girls and some rosy cheeked boys in his wake before stopping directly in front of Colin and bowing. He glanced up at Colin expectantly.

Colin was blank.

"Give me your hand," Bradley explained impatiently.

"I'm not giving you my bleeding hand," Colin growled under his breath. If Bradley started up with this "princess" business again he wouldn't survive the night. Like hell if he was going to let Bradley treat him like some...

Sighing, Bradley straightened up and locked onto Colin's wrist. He forcefully brought Colin's knuckles up to his lips and kissed them gently. "There," he said and let go, "was that difficult?"

Colin nodded over to the entrance. "Was that necessary?"

Bradley looked offended. "Quite, actually."

"He does something similar every year," Gwen whispered.

"Adoring fans and all that," Bradley explained casually.

"You just like the spotlight," Colin muttered and shot him a sceptical glance.

"Correction," Bradley countered, kissing Colin lightly, "the spotlight likes me and I am its humble servant."

Colin laughed and put his hand on Bradley's neck. "You look great." He smiled and felt comfortable now that Bradley's audience had moved along to other things, namely their own dates. He pressed their lips together.

"I do, don't I?" Bradley grinned, laughing when Colin elbowed him.

"Prat," Colin shook his head. He wondered if Bradley was so arrogantly ecstatic at all events like this one. He supposed he could get used to it, Bradley did naturely capture people's attention. Why wouldn't he play off it? Actually it'd be a darn right shame if he didn't.

Bradley slipped a hand past Colin's blazer and gave his waist a tight squeeze. He leaned in by Colin's ear. "Love the suit."

Colin shivered as Bradley's breath tickled his neck. "Just the suit?"

Bradley bit his outer ear and then dragged his tongue down to the side of Colin's neck. He was then yanked back by the collar so roughly that the wind was knocked out of him.

Katie glowered at him and then at Colin. "Masquerade, gentleman, not the backroom of a gay club."

Colin lowered his head, embarrassed. "Sorry..."

Bradley shrugged out of Katie's death grip and angrily began to fix his collar and tie. "I've never even been to a gay club," he mumbled.

"You can do all sorts of naughty things to each other after the dance," Katie pinned them both down with her glare. "Here are your masks," she shoved Bradley's into his face and then handed Colin his politely.

Bradley groaned and quickly rearranged his hair.

Katie placed a stray blond strand back into place and smiled at him semi-apologetically. "Our table is out on the terrace. It's got our names on it, so don't worry about finding it."

Bradley nudged her amicably and then went back over to stand beside Colin, brushing their shoulders together. He clasped one hand over the other in front of him, raising an eyebrow at Katie.

She smiled at them. "Be good. It's about time to get things going, I'll catch up with you in a little while," she said over her shoulder as she left.

Bradley glanced at Colin ready to make a joke about Katie before noticing Colin's focus on the ground. "What?"

"Just looking at your shoes," Colin answered with a sigh.

"Why?"

"Wondering if they'll get ruined by the time the night is over, I'll be stepping all over them," Colin said with a frown. "They're quite nice."

"You don't even want to know how much they cost me," Bradley added with a grin.

"Captain!"

Leon and Elyan walked over with small cups in their hand. 

Bradley eyed the glasses in their hands suspiciously. "Not had enough at the pub?"

Leon clicked his tongue. "Some sort of juice mix," he said, whirling the fluid in his glass with distaste. "Imagine alcohol being available here, your father would have someones head."  

"Luckily he didn't catch us last year then," Bradley chuckled.

"Alright?" Elyan asked Colin.

"Yeah," Colin nodded, gesturing at the room, "a little bit of a new experience for me."

"You're gonna love it," Elyan assured him, patting his shoulder before moving to speak with his sister.

"I think I'm going to get some drinks. You guys want any?" Colin asked to the general group.

"I'll do it," Bradley said quickly and manoeuvred Leon into his grip to drag him along.

Somewhere in the room Katie had grabbed a microphone and was asking for everyone's attention. The room hushed and she smiled and welcomed everyone to the dance. She briefly went over the itinerary for the night, and let everyone know that the first dance would start soon and she'd chosen some couple to showcase some simple dancing steps if anyone was nervous. Thanking the band and wishing everyone a good night, she bowed to applause and signalled the band to continue playing.

Colin peered over the crowd and tried to remember which couples were up there, he'd definitely need some guidance.

Lancelot smiled at Colin. "Not one for dancing?"

Colin shook his head. "Eludes me completely, you?"

Shrugging, Lancelot took a slow slip of his drink, and if it weren't for the fact that it was juice it would have been damn cool – but juice in a crystal glass seemed out of place. "I have some hidden talents."

Gwen chimed in. "You're going to have to show me."

Colin smiled and looked away as Lancelot nuzzled Gwen's cheek. He glimpsed Bradley chatting with friends instead of getting drinks. To the right Colin spied Freya and waved to her until she saw him, a big smile on her face when she did. She looked as if she was planning on going over to him but her friends pulled her along and out of his sight.

The music took up again and this time the violinists were joined by a cellist and the melody was slow and tender. A few of the couples who had gone up with Katie now took their places and without even looking at one another started moving in sync. Colin watched them as if the dance itself was a soft caress. Their masks hid their eyes but the girls mouths were left open and their bright red lips were curled up into smiles. The cello's notes were low and the violins were pitched higher and started to speed up. A few flutes added their voices. Colin fingered the mask in his hand, it was a dark grey that in the light glinted silver with glittery spirals around the eyes, the outer rim was an elegant Celtic knot. Bradley's was gold with a hint of red and had elaborate patterns etched into it.

Lancelot took Gwen's hand and led them towards the dancing couples. The steps were slow and easy to follow. They were quickly joined by other eager duos, and Colin watched a few guys groan as they were pulled to dance. He only slightly felt sorry for them but couldn't quite help but enjoy their frowns as they awkwardly tried to find some sort of rhythm. It made him feel better about himself.

"Well," Elyan took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "I'm off to find someone in need of company." He tipped his imaginary hat towards Colin and then resolutely set his eyes on the dancing couples. "See you out there." His dark suit disappeared into the sea of people around him.

Colin chuckled. He saw Bradley slip his mask on. He was coming back over to him but Colin pretended not to notice. Only when Bradley bowed in front of him did he distrustfully glance over.

"May I have this dance?" Bradley's voice was mocking but his eyes were sincere. He held out his hand.

Colin took Bradley's hand and found it warm. His heart picked up its pace as he let himself be led forward. Everyone was staring, which didn't help, and Colin kept repeating to himself that he mustn't fall, as much to save himself from humiliation as Bradley – especially Bradley. Despite his fumbling fingers he got his mask on. He could feel his palms grow sweaty and cursed himself as he tried to calm down. _Oh, bloody hell._

Bradley felt Colin tremble and tightened his grip. He spun Colin to face him and put one hand on his waist. He looked up. Their eyes met.

"I'm not very good at this," Colin admitted as he positioned his hand on Bradley's shoulder. "Quite horrible actually."

Bradley smiled and pulled them closer together, their noses almost touching. "I lead, you follow," he murmured as he took his first step. "Close your eyes." Another step.

Colin did as he was told and let the room go dark. He could feel Bradley gently insist him one way or another as they danced. He took a slow breath. "This isn't so – oh!" He frowned and looked down at the floor. "Shit, sorry, I didn't mean -"

"Shut up," Bradley said and the words were somehow soothing. "You can pay for the shoes later."

Colin laughed despite himself. "I probably couldn't afford it."

Bradley hummed. "No," he murmured into Colin's ear, "probably not."

Colin felt faint stubble graze his cheek as Bradley's leaned into him. He lowered his head onto Bradley's shoulder and inhaled his cologne. He smelled musky and fresh at the same time. It was an odd combination that make him wrinkle his nose and inhale again all at once. Focusing on deciphering the scent Colin didn't even notice how smoothly he and Bradley were moving.

The violins quieted down and the cello's booming notes seemed unending, where one began you couldn't tell where it ended so smoothly did the cellist transition. Almost painfully slow but unbelievably beautiful, and Colin tried to make note to start going to Pendragon's concerts.

"Try not to freak out," Bradley said as he pulled away and at arm's length spun Colin around twice before pulling him back in. Their momentum sped up as clarinets joined in with the cello and flutes.

Colin smiled. "You're very good at leading."

Bradley nuzzled his neck. "Do you think you could lead? Because Freya's been eyeing you for the better half of the last hour and I almost feel guilty for not sharing."

Colin considered it. "I wouldn't be nearly as good as you, but I think I could at least keep from falling."

"Then the next dance is hers," Bradley sighed.

Colin rubbed his cheek against Bradley's shoulder. "Do I have to share you with Vivian then?" Colin couldn't hear him laugh but he felt the rumble of Bradley's chest against him.

"I'd hope not."

They both fell silent and listened to the music. Colin saw Leon dancing with Katie, almost snorting when he saw Leon lower his hand down from Katie's waist only to have it firmly placed back before it even reached its target. Katie rolled her eyes but smiled into Leon's shoulder and he reddened.

Colin craned his neck up and watched the chandelier glint and glimmer. Dancing was no more his strongpoint now than it had been in the past five years but Bradley was a good lead and Colin moved seamlessly along with him. He could feel Bradley's chest rise and fall as he breathed. Their fingers entwined one by one, almost in time with every note coming from the violins and flutes.

After the music died down and then finally stopped Bradley pulled away and inclined his head. "Thank you for the dance."

Ever the gentleman, Colin thought and smiled. He was disappointed when Bradley let go of his hand.

"Now I think a certain young lady would like her turn," Bradley whispered and glanced over Colin's shoulder to meet Freya's eye. She seemed to be momentarily stunned before quickly turning away. "I'll meet you at our table after," he said and patted Colin amiably on the shoulder and left.

Colin let out a short breath and made his way over to Freya. He flashed her a genuinely happy smile, only slightly with a side of guilt because he'd not really talked to her since the camping trip, and held out his hand. "Would you care for a dance?" Colin thought he didn't have nearly as much charm as Bradley but Freya's cheeks flushed as she nodded. She slipped her mask on.

Her dress was reddish, a few shades lighter than mahogany, and her hair fell in waves to just above her boyish chest. Her bodice looked tight, or maybe her waist was just tiny. The dress was one shouldered and harboured a big bow on the strap that wrapped around Freya's right shoulder.

Colin led her to the dance floor at a comfortable distance away from the musicians and other couples so as not to be accidentally hit. He made a quick sweep of the room for Bradley and found him at a table with his mates, chatting and laughing animatedly. Probably gloating about the game, he thought. He reached up and inattentively placed his hand on Freya's shoulder. Her giggle made him focus.

Smiling, she moved his hand down to her waist and brought his other hand up to cradle hers.

Colin blushed. "Right, I'm leading." He smiled awkwardly. Stealing a nervous breath, Colin concentrated on the steps he was taking. Simple rotations left, right, back and forth, slowly, just as Bradley had done. He was very aware of Freya's body leaning into him. He was also very aware of how different it was to hold her compared to holding Bradley. She was fragile, her small frame delicate to the touch, so unmistakably feminine. Bradley was muscular, strong, and warm. Where Freya had smooth curves, Bradley had defined edges. Whereas her body fit snug into Colin's chest, Colin's fell in place with Bradley's. Colin absentmindedly pondered what a woman's breast would feel like. Soft or firm? Bradley's chest was smooth, his pecks firm, his abs strong. He moved his hand and could feel the curve of Freya's waist. It wasn't that he preferred the masculine form. He could easily tell when a woman was attractive.

"You're a very smooth dancer," Freya offered quietly, her fingers curling around Colin's.

Colin wondered at her feelings. He liked her of course, but not in any romantic sense. She must know that. Freya dropped her head on his shoulder, a sweet aroma filled his nostrils. The music calmed him and lulled his thoughts. The gentle notes kept them at a slow pace, never making him need to catch up. He had stopped concentrating on his footwork and merely danced mechanically. As they turned he stole long glimpses of Bradley and then of Katie and Leon. Colin considered his mates. Leon and Elyan were attractive men, without dispute very attractive, but he'd never once felt stirrings of desire for either of them. Katie and Gwen were also beautiful and he'd never considered them as anything more than good friends. He'd never truly wanted someone until Bradley came along. He spotted Elyan twirling a tall girl with sleek brown hair into his arms and grinned. Elyan came off kind and quiet but apparently had a charming side to him as well.

Gwen was dancing with Lancelot and smiled at Colin from across the room. He smiled back and then sighed. Bradley caught his eye then and winked, smiling at him carelessly, for no other reason than to smile. Colin could feel his heart skip a beat. All he knew for sure was that Bradley and everything that he was felt good, and it felt right, and he could care less what anyone thought of it. He chuckled and spontaneously twirled Freya around twice. Caught off guard she almost fell but Colin was lucky enough that she didn't.

She laughed and smiled up at him.

He smiled back, albeit for a different reason. His stomach suddenly growled.

"Hungry?" Freya giggled.

"Yeah," he laughed, "I suppose so."

"Better go eat then," she said and stepped back, standing undecided for a moment before quickly curtsying. "Thank you for the dance."

Colin nodded. "Oh," he bowed, "yes, of course. No problem."

Neither of them made to leave and the silence became awkward.

Colin cleared his throat. "You look lovely by the way," he smiled crookedly.

She looked down at herself and smiled. "Thank you. You look great, very handsome."

"Thanks," he said looked off to the side. His stomach made frustratingly loud noises. "Well, I'll see you later then, have a good night." He inclined his head as he left and went out onto the decorated terrace. Gwen waved him over to their table and he acknowledged her with a short wave. He grabbed a plate and then went for the salad bar, glad that Katie, or whoever had decided on the food, had included it. He loaded his plate with a light green salad with cucumbers, baby tomatoes and some sort of cheese and drizzled it all with olive oil. He hastened to the table.

"I took the liberty of getting you tea."

Colin's fork stopped midway to his mouth and he glanced at the cup being placed in front of him, steam curling upwards as if trying to clutch at the air. He filled his mouth and nodded. "Mhhm," he mumbled.

Bradley sat down sideways in his seat and watched Colin stuff another forkful of salad into his mouth. "Do you ever get tired of eating salads?"

Colin rolled his eyes, ignored the question, and took a sip of his tea.

Bradley grimaced. "You just washed down salad with tea."

Colin picked up a small tomato and let it hover in front of Bradley's lips. Slowly they parted and he slipped the veggie in, letting his thumb slide against Bradley's bottom lip.

"How was your dance?"

Colin raised a brow. "You were the one watching."

Bradley pursed his lips. "You make a lovely couple."

Colin held back a smile. "I thought so too."

"Eat your salad, you cheeky get," Bradley huffed and ruffled Colin's hair before standing. "I'm getting sweets, any orders?"

Lancelot asked for...a lot. Colin laughed as Gwen shook her head and educated Lancelot about unnecessary calories to which he responded simply with, "but they taste good." He outwardly agreed with Lancelot but could see Gwen's point. Either way he eyed the desert plate Bradley brought back with interest.

As soon as he finished his salad he reached over for a small piece of chocolate. "Where's Katie?"

Bradley sucked on the chocolatey tip of the strawberry he held almost entirely in an effort to rouse Colin. "Probably with Leon."

Colin ignored Bradley and his strawberry, turning instead to Gwen. "Did you see Elyan dancing with that girl? He was brilliant." He glanced back shrewdly, watching Bradley's tongue swirl around the tip.

"Quiet when it suits him, let's him get away with a lot," she commented and tipped a small piece of cake into her mouth with a satisfied sigh before leaning back into Lancelot. She glanced up at him and wiped some whipped cream from the corner of his mouth. Smiling slyly she licked her finger clean, batting her eyelashes innocently. Lancelot grinned and kissed her mouth with a loud smack. Colin smiled at them.

"Oi," Bradley nudged Colin with his foot.

Colin glanced at him. Bradley pointed to his mouth, smeared with chocolate in one corner. Colin thought for a moment and then leaned in, stopping within an inch of Bradley's face. He looked into Bradley's eyes and parted his lips, enjoying the way Bradley watched them part with eagerness. With his free hand he bunched up a napkin in his grasp and just as their lips were about to touch he placed the napkin in between them and wiped Bradley's mouth roughly. "All clean," he said a tad triumphantly as Bradley pouted.

He moved away and tucked another piece of chocolate into his mouth. Elyan ambled over and took a seat on the other side of Gwen. He was quick to chuck some cake into mouth without even looking and greeted everyone with a smile and nod.

Bradley sighed, bored. He studied Colin and then glanced over at the crowd around them. All the girls were dressed colourfully but the men were redundant, as if they'd all gotten the same suits from the same store. He licked his lips and then decided to be a little devious. Lancelot and Elyan were chatting about the game. "We'll probably play them again before the season ends," he added in. Keeping his eyes on them, he reached over and put his hand on Colin's knee. Colin jumped as if he had been shocked and Bradley's heart skipped a beat at the reaction.

"Do you reckon we'll beat them again? It's always on and off between us," Elyan said. Lancelot nodded in agreement.

Bradley glanced very briefly at Colin, who seemed to be very concerned with the conversation. Holding back a smile he slid his hand up slowly, making sure to angle it downwards to graze Colin's inner thigh. "I hate to say it but they are a rather good team." He felt Colin shift nervously.

"Very good," Lancelot said a bit grimly.

Bradley stopped his movement and considered whether he should withdraw. He could hear Colin breathing through his mouth. "But so are we." He thought that the both of them getting erections at the table wouldn't be such a good idea, but his voice of reason seemed faint. He grasped Colin's erection and could see him visibly jump out of the corner of his eye.

"Alright Colin?" Gwen asked.

Colin cleared his throat. "Sorry? Yeah, I'm fine."

"I think we could beat them again," Bradley said. He brought up his free hand and covered his mouth as if thinking. His breath came out shakily but his hand was steady. Colin was very hard. Harder than he had expected him to be. The thought edged him on, practically blinded him with desire for a moment until he realized Lancelot had said something. "Pardon?" His breath caught as he applied pressure to the base of Colin's cock, feeling his way through the smooth material of his pants.

"I agreed with you," Lancelot supplied. "They're good but not the best."

Bradley hummed in acknowledgement. Colin's breath was shallow but he didn't move Bradley's hand away. Steadily, Bradley slipped upwards, releasing some pressure before applying it again on the way down. His own erection throbbed but he was rooted to the spot, immobilized by the excitement. Nobody had even noticed!

Colin risked a glance down into his lap and practically moaned aloud at the sight. He leaned his chin into the palm of his hand and covered his mouth with his fingers. Bradley's hand moved again and he let out a shuddering breath. His mind was a frenzy. Somewhere reason was beckoning him to stop Bradley, grab his hand and push it away, but all he really wanted was for Bradley to unclasp his pants and...

Bradley flinched when Colin locked his wrist into a strong grip. Shit, he thought. He pretended not to notice but couldn't help but look over anyways.

"I have to go to bathroom," Colin said suddenly. He looked around the table and then at Bradley. "With him," he added in a strained voice and dragged Bradley from the table and quickly through cafeteria and out into the hall. They rounded a corner and after a quick look in each direction Colin pushed Bradley into the wall. "Have you lost it?"

Bradley wasn't even ashamed. "Well," he began proudly, about to defend his actions, but Colin apparently had another idea.

Colin pushed his body into Bradley's and kissed him. He grabbed the side of Bradley's face and groaned into his mouth. Their lips clashed hungrily until Colin pulled away. He dropped his head onto Bradley's shoulder, panting.

Bradley stood against the wall, stunned. And aching. "I should do this more often," he said breathlessly and took Colin's hand, leading them down the hall. "And I thought I had a high sex drive," he mumbled to himself and eyed the rooms they were passing quickly. Bathroom might be occupied, he thought. They were passing an English classroom when he slowed down. Colin tugged at his wrist. "Hold on," he whispered and looked through the glass panel on the door. Chuckling he shook his head. "Oh, hell."

Colin frowned and peeked into the room over Bradley's shoulder. His eyes widened in surprise. "How did they get in?"

Inside, Leon was lying on top of Katie on one of the desks. They were fully clothed but Leon was sliding his hand up Katie's arm and across her bare shoulders. They were kissing deeply.

"Maybe she has the keys, we should ask," Bradley whispered and brought his hand up to knock on the door.

Colin gasped and pulled Bradley's hand back. "Don't be ridiculous," he hissed. He found his gaze drawn back to the couple inside and he felt his desire flooding back. Leon rolled his hips and Katie broke from his mouth and moaned. Colin flushed. "Let's go," he urged and pulled Bradley away from the door.

Grinning, Bradley looked at Colin's face. "They turned you on even more. Oh, you do surprise me today Mr. Morgan."

Colin elbowed him. "Just find us a room, prat."

Bradley bit his bottom lip. "Before you change your mind, right," he mumbled and thought for a moment. "Second floor, French."

"What?"

"Mrs. Williby is the most forgetful person I've ever met, she probably never locks her door."

Colin's heartbeat raced as they hurried upstairs. Oh my god, he thought gravely, what we're about to do...

"Bradley," Colin said quietly, fingers curling around Bradley's, unsure.

"Too late," Bradley quipped cheerily and smiled as the door gave way. He flung Colin inside and locked it behind them. "You're still hard," he commented with a raised brow, staring accusingly as though Colin had no right to be voicing complaint. 

Colin stepped back until he hit a desk. They were about to...in a classroom! The thought drove him insane with worry and shame. It also motivated his passion. "So I am," he said in a trembling voice, sliding his fingers along his erection.

Bradley took a step forward and very smoothly slipped out of his jacket. He placed it neatly on the nearest table. "Oh god," he groaned quietly as Colin rubbed himself. "This definitely beats dancing."

Colin smiled, trying to keep his whole body from shaking. Warning bells were ringing in his head. Don't do it something inside of him said. But his eyes were locked with Bradley's and his whole body was heating up and the worry began to melt away under his insistent desire. Bradley came up to him but didn't touch him. Colin fell back on the table as Bradley leaned over him, his figure demanding. Still, Bradley didn't touch him. Colin reached up and pulled Bradley down on top of him by his collar, pinning him close by wrapping his legs up and around him. He kissed him and kissed him again.

Bradley was taken aback when Colin's tongue found his and rolled his hips. This was not what he had been expecting to happen tonight. He sucked on Colin's tongue fiercely and kept their lips pressed together until they were both out of oxygen and broke for more. He struggled to be gentle as he wrangled Colin out of his jacket. He threw it off to one side.

"Wait, wait," Colin said and pushed Bradley away. He twisted onto his side and grabbed the thrown jacket. He folded it quickly and put it aside neatly.

Bradley huffed.

Colin smiled at him sweetly. "Expensive that. Not to be thrown around."

"Are you done?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Bradley pinned Colin's wrists flat against the table and studied him. His tie and shirt were still nicely in place and his hair looked as if it had just been combed. The only evidence of their passions were Colin's moist lips, flushed cheeks and, Bradley shifted down against him,  _that_.

Colin gasped and wriggled under Bradley's grasp. He wanted so much to free his hands.

Bradley slid his hands from Colin's wrists and up into his open palms, locking their fingers together. He shifted a little and then experimentally rubbed their erections together. Colin lifted his hips right away and Bradley lowered his. The friction they were creating had them both gasping for breath. Bradley reached down and hastily fumbled with Colin's pants.

Hands now free, Colin pulled at Bradley's trousers. He breathed laboriously as he tugged at the zipper, sucking in a ragged breath when Bradley gripped him. He arched into the hold. "Bradley," he groaned.

Downstairs the music took up again and this time it was a face paced song, romantic but quick. The violins were leading the crescendo.

Bradley searched his pockets and then dropped his forehead against Colin's in frustration. "I don't have a condom on me."

Colin shook his head and kissed Bradley's jaw. "Don't matter."

Bradley opened his eyes. "Don't say that, it does."

Colin held Bradley's face in between his hands and rubbed their noses together. "Not if its you," he whispered and opened his eyes. "It's alright if it's you."

Bradley felt his throat constrict and go dry. Colin was so beautiful. He kissed him gently. The thought of cumming inside of his body made him delirious. "One day," he said finally and kissed Colin again. He fervently hoped that Colin would leave it at that because if he insisted Bradley wasn't sure that he could resist.

Colin looked at Bradley for a moment longer and then nodded slowly. He felt disappointed. And somewhere insecurity pricked him and he wondered if Bradley just didn't want to...

"I love you." Bradley buried his head in Colin's shoulder and stroked him.

Colin looked down and snaked his arm under Bradley's and mirrored his strokes. He turned his head and kissed Bradley's ear. "I love you too," he whispered hoarsely.

Bradley grunted as Colin's pace sped up. He matched it. He tried to prop himself up just enough to let Colin move freely. He felt the pressure build up and moaned.

Colin could feel himself begin to let go. He cried out as he came and could feel the warmth of Bradley's cum on his hand seconds after him. Bradley didn't cry out. Instead, he bit down on Colin's shoulder. The pain Bradley's teeth were inflicting on him doubled his pleasure and he let out a deep moan. His whole body shuddered as the tension began to lift.

Bradley fell on top of Colin. He wanted to run his fingers through Colin's hair but they were sticky. He chuckled. Sticky because they had just tossed each other off in Mrs. Wiliby's French classroom at his father's school. He giggled and then started to laugh. "Colin, I don't even feel bad," he said, standing up and tucking himself back into his pants. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Colin tried not to smile. "We probably shouldn't have done that."

"Coming from the guy who just came all over the place and doesn't even have the decency to cover himself up," Bradley snorted and pointed at Colin's crotch.

Colin blushed and stood up, turning away.

Bradley scoffed at Colin's back. "Nothing I haven't seen before, love."

"It's the  _decent_ thing to do," Colin mocked, but turned around with coy smile. He broke out laughing and sat down on the table. He buried his face in his hands. "I can't believe we just did that."

"Mmm," Bradley hummed as he walked over to him. "You're sitting on the evidence."

Colin shot up right into Bradley's chest.

"Oh hello," Bradley said and wrapped his arms around Colin's waist.

Colin looked up into Bradley's face and brushed through his hair with his clean hand. "Hiya," he said tenderly and let his arms rest against Bradley's hips. He sighed happily. "We should be getting back."

"Probably," Bradley sighed. "But..."

Colin nodded with a mild frown. "Clean up first, yeah?"

"Well, unless you'd like to leave it for the custodians," Bradley said and grinned conspiratorially.

Colin's frown deepened. "Absolutely not."

"Alright then let's get to it," Bradley perked up. "I'll go get some paper towels from the washroom."

Colin nodded at him absently and surveyed the tables. He wanted to laugh. He checked the time and wondered if their friends were curious as to where they were. Well, he thought, not that I didn't make it obvious enough.

Bradley came in and made three piles of paper towels on the desk beside his suit jacket. "These ones are dry, these ones moist, and these ones with soap."

Colin stifled a chuckle at Bradley's efficiency and held his hand out. "Soap."

They cleaned for ten minutes. Could have been less, frankly there wasn't that big of a mess, but Colin was adamant about going over everything twice. Once done they grabbed their things, straightened the desks and left quietly. Colin held onto to Bradley's arm as they walked. "You know," he started with a playful smile, "this was a one time thing."

Bradley chuckled. "Yeah, we really shouldn't make a habit of that. Unless we're at home," he said and glanced over at Colin in thought. "And speaking of home...I was thinking...well, hoping actually, that you'd maybe want to come over and stay the night."

Colin made no particular acknowledgement of the offer until they reached the first floor. "Your father..."

"He'll be fine," Bradley assured him with a shrug. "Look, if you don't want to I'll just drive you home."

Colin shook his head. "No, I want to. Of course I want to," he said, turning to Bradley with a small smile, "I just don't want to cause trouble between you two."

Bradley rolled his eyes. "You let me worry about him."

Colin looked into Bradley's eyes and calmed down. "I think your dad'll come around. And," he paused thoughtfully and gently touched Bradley's cheek, "I'd like to stay with you tonight."

Bradley's lips curled up into a satisfied smile and he covered Colin's hand with his own. "Come on," he said and brought their hands down. "Lord knows what sort of things they think we're doing."

Colin snorted. "Would they be wrong?"

Bradley looked over at him as they walked and pecked his lips.

"Not one bit." 


	24. A Quiet Moment

Colin was pleasantly surprised that no one commented on his and Bradley's absence when they came back. No lingering glances, not even an implied joke. Nothing. He sat down at the table satisfied. They definitely didn't know. But his satisfaction quickly turned into suspicion as he looked around the table slowly. Nobody met his eye except for Elyan. Colin stared at him expectantly. Elyan smiled politely. He grimaced. _Oh my god, he knows._

"What?" Elyan asked cautiously.

Gwen looked over at them questioningly.

Colin looked at her. _She knows too_. Panicking, he glanced over at Bradley.

The blond was casually talking to someone from another table. He noted Colin's frantic look but ignored him.

Colin rolled his eyes at Bradley's nonchalance. "Nothing," he mumbled.

"I think Colin wants to dance," Gwen supplied. "But it seems as though his boyfriend is busy." She nudged her brother and giggled.

He frowned. ""Oh, look mate," Elyan started, smiling tight lipped and pausing.

Colin waved him off. "I don't want to dance." 

Gwen scoffed. "Oh come off it, you're just scared."

Elyan rolled his eyes. "Really, Gwen?"

She laughed sweetly and kissed her brother on the cheek. 

Lancelot covered his face with a hand and shook his head.

Colin started laughing and then jumped up a little when a hand squeezed his shoulder. He turned his face up at Leon who was smiling down at him.

"I hear someone wants to dance?"

Gwen nodded. "Take Colin," she said, gesturing for them to go.

Colin shook his head but laughingly placed his hand in Leon's. "I really don't need a dance." He gasped when Leon pulled him up and started dragging him away from the table, he looked over his shoulder helplessly.

Lancelot nodded over to Bradley. "Have you not got anything to say about this?"

"Hmm?" Bradley looked over at him and then shrugged. "Have you got anything to say about this?" He stood up and plucked Gwen out of her seat, wrapping an arm around her waist tightly. "My lady," he whispered sensually.

Gwen blushed and pushed at him, scoffing.

"I promise to bring her back as I found her," Bradley said matter of factly as they left, following behind Leon and Colin.

Lancelot watched them go and then sat back in his seat and looked at the empty chairs around him. He sighed. The desert plate was empty. He turned. But not the desert table. He smiled happily and made his way over to the sugary selections.

Inside, Bradley scanned the room. Much harder to find a guy than a girl, he thought in frustration as he browsed the dance floor. However, he smiled, two blokes dancing together was easy to spot.

Gwen laughed quietly, apparently having spied them as well. "Oh, what have I done?" She shook her head, but seemed pleased.

Bradley cocked his head to one side and considered the pair. Leon had his hand placed loosely around Colin's waist, and was flitting between keeping distance between their bodies and sometimes brushing them together. Colin was chattering on about something and seemed to be enjoying himself.

Bradley slipped his hand into Gwen's. It was smaller and softer than Colin's. "Shall we?" He inclined his head and led her into the centre of the room, slipping past the numerous swaying couples. Sneaking a glimpse of Colin, he spun Gwen away from him and then rapidly back into his skilled hands. She gasped and clutched at him. He smiled - to himself really - and put his hands in place.

A few paces away, Colin leaned into Leon and peered over his shoulder.

"Uhm," Leon hummed and looked down at Colin, "what is it?"

"Watching Bradley make a show of himself," Colin said. Leon stiffened a little and Colin glanced at him. "We can stop now if you'd like."

"No, no," Leon said quickly. "It's alright." 

Colin smiled and then continued to peer over his shoulder as they danced. Bradley was really pulling out some fancy moves, Colin noted, watching him twirl and twist Gwen, bending her back and forth as if she were malleable. He didn't know Bradley knew how to dance that well.

"Don't expect me to dance like that," Leon said seriously, catching glimpses of Bradley and Gwen as he danced. 

Colin chuckled and then chanced a glimpse of Katie entering the room, fixing her hair into place. He smiled to himself and looked up at Leon, thinking up a witty comment to make. Before he could, he lost sight of Katie in the crowd, but then the music stopped and she was tapping at a microphone in her hand near the two cello players.

A chatter rose up and then died down as people stood back to see her. Katie waited for complete silence before speaking. "The night is coming to a close," she started and paused, looking out among the masked faces, "I hope that you have all enjoyed your evening. Maintenant, la pièce de resistance! The drama club has collaborated with our school orchestra, whom we could not fully accommodate in this room," she said apologetically with a glance at the small band before continuing, "and they've prepared a special presentation for us. I ask that everyone please make room for this, we'll need the dance floor."

Everyone began to shuffle around, trying to get out of the way. A few couples went outside and sat down at the tables nearest the window so that they could look on from the terrace; others sat down at the tables inside the room and many stood by the doors and against the far walls.

Leon took Colin by the elbow and led him along with the crowd until they were near the doors leading outside, the night air began to whisper chillingly. Bradley joined them, standing to Colin's left while Leon went out in search of Lancelot and Elyan.

"Nice moves back there," Colin whispered.

Bradley grinned. He nodded over at Katie. "She cleaned up nice, huh? Not as paranoid as some people."

Colin grimaced. "Shut up."

Eyes turned towards the entrance as lavishly dressed couples entered the room. The women wore ball gowns that looked as if they weighed a ton; the ruffles and embroidery were almost excessive. All the couples were dressed differently but in matching shades. One pair was strikingly lighter than the others, and their face masks were decorated by golds and silvers, unlike the dark blues and purples of the other couples. The girls had feathers in their hair and long silk gloves. The men wore light suits, the jackets seeming almost military on account of their length (just under the knee) with gold buttons accented by sparkling embroidery, extending horizontally outward from each one. Their cuffs escaped from their jacket arms in frills and their shoes were either jester like, with the tip curling up and dipping back in, or on a short and thick heel with a huge gleaming buckle.

Colin stared in awe at their costumes. They were brilliant! He watched eagerly as the pairs formed a line and bowed to one another. He recognized one of them by her hair. "Vivian's in the drama club?"

Bradley nodded. "Probably why we haven't seen her much this evening, I imagine they've been preparing."

The couples stood back to back, backs straights, chins pointing out, shoulders up and feet together. The music began slowly, the violins playing high notes sweetly. The dancers moved away from each other, turning slowly to face one another before meeting in the middle. Their steps were on time with each note and they slid their feet across the floor slowly when the violins held their notes. The men turned around the women without touching them, and then suddenly stopped, this time face to face. The violins stopped playing and there was an eerie silence before the cellos boomed. Colin's breath caught as the pace sped up and the couples, now hand in hand, danced in complete sync. They seemed to be very close to each other but not once did any of the pairs get in the way of another.

Colin marvelled at their skill. They moved smoothly, forceful one moment, gentle when need be, right along with the music. He had given up trying to keep track of their steps and merely watched with an open mouthed smile.

Bradley was much more reserved, he'd seen several performances by the drama club. He looked over at Colin, noted the child like curiosity and glee on his face and finally smiled. "Enjoying it?"

Colin spared him a seconds glance, not wanting to miss anything. He nodded. "They're amazing!"

The dance ended on a very loud and pointed note, and the last step was so sharp it almost seemed as if it were the dancers who were compelling the music to their will. The room broke into vigorous applause. It continued for a few minutes, giving the dancers enough time to catch their breaths. They all bowed and then three pairs left the room. Three pairs remained – one of which included Vivian - and spread out, one pair, dressed similarly in cream coloured robes, took to the middle and the other two pairs, dressed in darker shades, fanned out symmetrically to either side of the first couple, making sure to be a good distance away.

Colin noticed that the girls all seemed to unhook something on their dresses. From a distance he couldn't see exactly what or if anything happened. Then the music began. The melody was romantic, almost sensual, carried by the violins and accented by the flutes.

Only Vivian and her partner were dancing and their movements were perfectly timed, their touches almost visibly tender. Barely audible at first, the cellos were beginning to join in, punctuating low notes one after the other, slow at first but at quicker intervals each time. Vivian and her partner kept dancing smoothly as if unaware of the interrupting cellos.

As if they were in their own world, Colin thought. Two lovers completely caught up in each other. He couldn't help but look at Bradley as the thought crossed his mind.

The two other couples had begun dancing, though not in time with the violins and flutes but rather with the cellos; their movements were quick and sharp, jarringly contrasting the third couple, still hand in hand, eyes locked, steps slow and delicate. As the cellos began to overtake the romantic melody the two pairs dancing to their rhythm converged on the first pair, coming in close and then jumping back as if shocked. They danced around them almost menacingly and the elegant music that had been playing was now drowned out by the cellos erratic, threatening notes. The encircled couple broke eye contact and looked around them frantically, clutching to each other. The cellos suddenly screeched and one of the couples circling them reached out for Vivian. Her partner spun them around and kept her out of reach. Then, as if countering the attack, he dipped Vivian down, making her bring one leg up piercingly, breaking the rotating circle the intruding pairs had made around them.

The pairs seemed taken aback and retreated as the cellos accordingly died down and the violins came back with force. The flutes softened the melody again and Vivian and her partner came together gently, with her head on his shoulder and his cheek against her blonde hair.

Colin was very impressed by the show, and told himself to congratulate Katie on an amazing masquerade. He thought it was over but heard the cellos begin anew, this time with more determination.

The series of moves that followed were hard to follow because the partners were switching hands, revolving around each other, and struggling for dominance. The girls dresses suddenly flared out as they spun, as if releasing hidden material, glittering folds now visible as they danced. It was orderly chaos.

Colin found himself hoping that Vivian and her partner would be re-united, wrapped up in the storytelling of the dance. They were kept apart by the other couples and continuously thwarted as they tried to reach out for one another. This sort of theme continued for a while, back and forth, the lovers almost finding each other before being pulled away. And as they danced the music kept growing in intensity until finally at its climax Vivian broke away from her captive dancing partner and everything stopped. Colin straightened up.

The flutes suddenly sputtered out quick notes and the couples who had played the villains spun and glided away as if being pushed by an unseen force, leaving only one pair on the dance floor. Slowly, the couple came to each other, and once face to face reached out, Vivian with her left hand and her partner with his right, and their palms were inches apart in the air as they circled around and around. And as the music drew to a tender close, their fingers finally entwined and they embraced.

The hall was frighteningly quiet for a minute before someone started clapping. The applause quickly became deafening and a few people whistled and cheered. Colin clapped until his palms were red. He had gained a certain respect for Vivian, he realized as he watched her bow. How could he not after a performance like that? She was grinning from ear to ear and her cheeks were bright red, both from the exertion and delight at the attention. The room converged upon them in congratulatory glee.

"Time to go?" Bradley said near Colin's ear.

Colin nodded. "Let's see Katie on the way out."

Bradley led the way, hands in his pockets, the crowd parting for him as if he were royalty.

Colin trailed behind him, frowning. Prince. He was bumped once or twice as people fell back into place. He sighed and nudged somebody out of his way. He walked into Bradley's back suddenly and then looked over his shoulder, shifting slightly to get around his blond hair.

"How did you like it?" Vivian looked up at Bradley expectantly, standing up straighter. Her dress was low cut and her chest full.

"We thought it was great," Colin interrupted, smiling at her over Bradley's shoulder before stepping into view.

Vivian glanced at him distastefully. She turned her attention to Bradley. "Did you really?"

"It was very good," Bradley said and glanced down at her chest.

"Are you leaving now?"

Bradley spied Katie over Vivian's head. "Yeah, going to see Katie before I take him home."

Colin held back a cheeky grin.

"You look lovely," Colin said to Vivian, inclining his head to her respectfully before leaving the two blonds. He pushed his way over to Katie who was in a throng of people.

She beamed at him. "Colin!"

He smiled and embraced her. 

"Tell me you liked it."

"I loved it. The dance at the end was really top notch."

Katie bounced up and down in excitement. "It was wasn't it?"

"The whole thing was really great. Never been to a dance like this in my whole life."

Katie laughed. "We have a few like this a year so you'd better get used to it."

Colin shook his head in amusement. "Bradley and I are leaving now."

"Back to his?"

"Yep."

Katie looked at him pensively for a moment. "You don't seem nervous at all. Uther'll be there."

Colin glanced over his shoulder. "It's alright." He smiled, finally believing the words to be true. " It's all alright."

"You can't just leave me with Vivian like that," Bradley huffed as he came over. He kissed Katie lightly. "Great show, it was loads better than last time."

Katie's nose scrunched up in distaste. "Don't even mention it."

"Let's go?" Colin asked.

Bradley nodded. He turned to leave but then spun back. "One last thing, if you bring Leon home, wake us up for breakfast."

Katie blinked in surprise. "Leon?"

Bradley took Colin's hand. "Hope you cleaned that classroom as well as Colin and I did ours," he said melodically and winked at her before heading for the doors.

Colin glanced back at Katie. They were both flushed equally. He gave her a weak smile before a few people blocked his view. Out in the hallway, it wasn't nearly as congested and Colin could walk freely alongside Bradley. "Wouldn't she rather go to his?"

Bradley shrugged. "That's not the point. Imagine breakfast with all of us the next morning if she brought him home," Bradley mused, laughing. "Uther would have a fit."

"Maybe not," Colin said. "I think he'd be fine."

Bradley stopped. "Right, because the last time passed brilliantly, did it?"

"He's had time to get used to it," Colin answered. "I think tomorrow'll be fine."

Bradley looked down darkly. "I doubt it."

Colin waited until Bradley met his eyes. "Things change, Bradley."

"Not him. He's never changed, and this time will be no different."

"But this time," Colin's tone softened, "he's got something he doesn't want to lose."

Bradley turned away and they walked in silence to his car. People were starting to leave but most of them hung around outside for a few minutes longer, ignoring the chill. Colin watched the splashes of colour in the otherwise dark night fade away in the mirror as they left the lot. The roads were quiet and the streetlamps seemed to become fewer and fewer until only the road ahead of them was lit by Bradley's car lights. Colin watched the gravel at the side of the road speed by, blurry and rough. The glass was cold against his forehead. He heard Bradley exhale.

"Tired?"

Bradley shook his head. "You?"

"Somewhat."

Bradley's gaze slid over. "How tired?"

"Wha-" he began to ask but the blonds sly grin was enough to go by. "Oh," Colin murmured and thought about Uther at home, "are you always out to spite your father?"

"Again, you miss the point."

"Do I?"

"I stick my tongue down your throat in front of him when I want to spite him," Bradley corrected him. He turned onto his driveway and the gates began to open. "I simply don't think I could possibly lie in one bed with you half-naked and keep things...platonic."

"Platonic," Colin echoed.

Bradley followed the curve of the driveway to the front door. The dining room and kitchen were lit and the light shining from the windows and just barely touched the car. Bradley cut the engine and looked at Colin seriously.

"Could you?"

Colin deflected him. "Do you have no self-restraint?"

"Do you?"

"You are absolutely lecherous."

"Ah!" Bradley put a finger to his mouth and then pursed his lips in thought. He looked at Colin with a playful expression and shrugged. "That," he started and loosened his tie, "is quite right. Now come on," he said and stepped out of the car before peeking back in at Colin, "I'd like to be lecherous upstairs."

Colin rolled his eyes and scoffed. Both of them knew that he didn't mind one bit.

Alec met them at the door and then went to park the car after they'd gone inside. Bradley walked into the foyer and slid his jacket off.

"Hello dear," Mrs. Bartlett greeted as she came in and upon looking at Colin, smiled. "Dears," she corrected.

"Is father asleep?" Bradley wordlessly took Colin's jacket.

She nodded. "Best keep it down," she advised and put a finger to her lips.

Bradley kissed her cheek.

Colin nodded. "G'night."

Mrs. Bartlett's voice stopped them near the first landing. "Colin?"

"Yes?"

"How do your prefer your eggs in the morning?"

He flushed a deep pink and half-words stumbled past his lips. "Anyway is fine, thank you."

Mrs. Bartlett pursed her lips and frowned. 

"Oh! And Mrs. Bartlett," Bradley called sweetly, "you might want to set an extra plate."

The elderly woman perked up. "Oh, is Katie having Gwen over?"

Bradley smiled at her. "Something like that."

The housekeeper nodded and left.

Colin and Bradley exchanged glances and started laughing.

Gently, Colin touched Bradley's elbow and led them up the remaining steps. He let Bradley walk into his bedroom first and then followed. He couldn't help but smile at being back in there. "I'm going to go wash my hands," he said and shot Bradley a quick smile before ambling over to the bathroom. For once its grandeur didn't shock him. He'd sort of grown accustomed to extravagance everywhere but at home. It was an odd feeling. Being there...a world so different from his own. One that he would have scoffed at and dismissed in the blink of an eye when he'd first moved to Camelot. He stood in front of the mirror and smiled at himself wistfully. The skin under his eyes was mildly dark. Frowning, he turned the water on, cupped his hands, and waited for the icy coolness to pour over the confines of his curved palms. He leaned forward and splashed his face. The sting made him shiver. His gaze shifted over to the doorway as Bradley sauntered in, belt undone, pants hanging low, naked from the waist up. Never one to waste time.

Bradley stood next to Colin and leaned on the counter, watching him in the reflection. He wiped away a droplet of water that was quivering on the tip of Colin's nose.

Colin caught Bradley's hand as he was pulling away and brought it to his chest, placing it over his heart.

Colin's pulse pounded against his palm. "It's so fast," Bradley murmured.

Colin's cheeks flushed. He undid the first button of his shirt.

Bradley carefully undid the rest and lightly touched Colin's skin. He examined the contrast between Colin's paleness and the dark hairs disappearing into his pants. He let Colin's shirt fall to the floor.

Colin looked in Bradley's eyes and pushed the blonds pants down slowly to his ankles. He looked up at him pensively.

Bradley stepped out of his pants and put a hand on Colin's head, gently brushing through his hair. He coaxed him to stand up and backed him out of the bathroom.

Colin quickly rid himself of his pants. He hated this part. He could never make it look attractive. His fumbling fingers and wobbly legs failed him every time.

Bradley examined Colin's legs. He wondered what it would feel like to have them wrapped around him, whether the dark hairs would prick and scratch him or be soft against his skin. He kissed the corner of Colin's mouth, his cheek, his temple, and then kissed his lips, breathed in the scent of him and deepened the meaning with his tongue. Usually their tongues were playful or needy, but this time Bradley went slow and angled his head as he touched Colin's tongue. He could feel Colin hesitate, unnerved by the pace. He slid his hand up and placed it at the base of Colin's neck. Their tongues slid against each other and their tastes mingled. Bradley caressed Colin's hip with his free hand and then slipped downwards, hooking the material of Colin's boxers with two fingers before pulling one side down, exposing a portion of his backside. He felt fingers dig into his shoulder blades and pulled Colin to him, pushing the pads of his fingers into Colin's soft skin as their erections met. The material separating them only added to the friction, and Bradley rolled his hips in one short movement.

Colin gasped and broke away from Bradley's lips. His mouth was sensitive and felt swollen. He dragged his tongue over his bottom lip. Bradley's hips were moving in a steady pace and he flushed at the feeling. There were two hands on him now, caressing his backside, rubbing him, and he buried his face into Bradley's shoulder as he felt insisting fingers spreading him. He stilled when Bradley applied pressure with one of his fingers. "Bradley," he whispered hurriedly.

Bradley kissed Colin's forehead and moved his hands away. "Get on the bed," he said quietly, and went over to his desk.

Colin watched Bradley tentatively, hoping that he hadn't disappointed him. He pulled his boxers down and climbed up onto the soft throw. He had let Bradley penetrate him with something bigger than a finger before but somehow the thought of his finger breaching him made him uncomfortable. He worried his lip.

Bradley came up to the bed and side glanced Colin as he put the lubricant on the table. He ripped the condom packaging open with his teeth and pulled his boxers down. He reached down to put the protection on.

"Wait," Colin said hurriedly and crawled over to him. He stepped down in front of Bradley and took the condom from his hands. He slid it onto Bradley gently, moving his fingers carefully, caressing him. He looked down and his throat constricted. The sight made his groin throb. Leaning up, he kissed Bradley, lingered, and then pulled himself up onto the bed and turned onto his stomach.

Chuckling, Bradley put a hand on Colin's shoulder and flipped him back over. He smiled at the searching eyes and the feel of those tense muscles. "I want to see your face," he explained, and brushed his fingers up Colin's jaw and around his ear. Slowly he manoeuvred himself in between Colin's legs and lifted the right one up and onto his shoulder. He heard the hitch of Colin's breath and closed his eyes. His fingers played on Colin's thigh as if he were stringing a harp. He lifted Colin's other leg. His fingers moved slowly, patiently.

Colin pushed himself up a bit and then back down, settling into a more comfortable position so that his chin wasn't digging into chest. Bradley was still stroking his thighs and Colin was glad that he had his eyes closed. He studied Bradley's chest, rising and falling slightly faster than usual, and took a deep breath. He exhaled slowly and felt himself relax despite his precarious position. A cold sting made him gasp and he bucked slightly.

"It'll warm up," Bradley whispered. He put a hand on Colin's hip to steady him and then used the other to gently nudge Colin's entrance. "Just breathe," he said soothingly. He looked into Colin's eyes, made sure that he was looking back, and leaned forward, slipping a finger in. Colin trembled and Bradley was patient, waiting until he relaxed before slipping in another. He moved his fingers gently, pushing in deeper, waiting for Colin's shuddering breaths to turn into little gasps and moans. When they did, he removed his digits and held his cock between Colin's legs. He leaned into him, gentle.

Colin willed himself to focus on breathing. Bradley was pushing into him slowly but the sensation was no less painful than it had been the first time. He clenched his teeth. The head of Bradley's penis breached him and he grasped Bradley's wrist. Sucking in air through his teeth, he nodded and Bradley slid further into him.

Leaning forward just enough to reach Colin's lips, Bradley kissed him. He let Colin's legs slip from his shoulders a bit and manoeuvred them steadily as he pulled out and in, letting them rise up and down with ease.

Colin unclenched his fist and flattened the scrunched up sheets with his palm. Bradley had his eyes closed and his lips moved open with a breath, and then back together as he bit down on his bottom one. Colin lay helplessly as Bradley pushed into him, again and again. He wanted so much to find some way to ground himself and join in the momentum but with his legs in the air the most he could do was arch up and curl his toes as the pace sped up. Bradley grunted and leaned forward, pumping in and out of him in shorter bursts. Colin threw his head back and groaned. Cautious of his voice he put an arm over his mouth and muffled the sounds. He reached down and stroked himself until he was hard.

A bead of sweat dropped from Bradley's chin. His forehead was moist, his chest speckled with wet droplets. He felt his orgasm coming and grimaced at the building pressure. Opening his eyes he looked down at Colin and unsteadily grabbed his arms, pushing them away from his face. "I want," he panted and clutched one of Colin's thighs as he slammed into him, "I need to see your face." His fingers dug into Colin's skin. "Open your eyes," he grunted and grabbed onto Colin's other thigh.

Bradley was fucking him in short, painful bursts. Colin gritted his teeth and with one hand above his head, braced himself as much as possible against the headboard. He cried out as Bradley's nails drove into his thighs like needles.

"Open them," Bradley growled.

Colin arched and shook his head, throwing his head back. His eyes flew open and closed a few times until he found Bradley's face. He stared straight up at Bradley and his vision blurred. He knew he couldn't take much more. Bradley's eyes were searing into him, as if sharing what he was feeling, adding to it, joining him. It was too much, but he couldn't look away. And when he finally broke, it was as if all the nerves in his body shuddered and caught fire. Bradley grabbed onto the right side of his face and slammed into him one last time, burrowing in deep. Colin felt stinging tears flowing down on either side of his face, and his heart pushed and fought against his rib cage. He put his hand over Bradley's and finally let his eyes shut tight against the tremors. He could feel Bradley inside of him perfectly, the pulse of his cock, once, twice...His back was arched to a point of physical pain, but it heightened the sensations and he stayed in the position until he was numb.

Bradley resisted the urge to close his eyes. He held Colin's face and watched his eyes widen, brim with tears, and shut; watched his mouth just barely open, his eyebrows come together and dip, almost as if in anger, and then his mouth parted wide. Bradley trembled all over at the silent scream. Colin's tears ran by his fingers and the hand he had at Colin's hip threatened to slip, his skin slick with sweat – he held him tighter. Colin arched and rose slowly and in one suspended moment was completely and utterly wrecked. Bradley let his eyelids fall and everything went dark.

They both collapsed in exhaustion, hearts still drumming, connected through sheer fatigue, unable to move.

There was cum all over Colin's chest and even on his arm. Bradley's hand was still under his and he moved it up, over his forehead, through his hair, and onto the bed. Bradley was heavy but he was too tired to move. Too tired to speak. He couldn't even think. Just breathe.

Stirring regretfully, Bradley slowly inched out of Colin, his cum trickling down to the bedsheets. He just barely shifted and kept a leg and arm lazily thrown across Colin's body. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against the curve of Colin's shoulder. His throat grew taught as he lightly brushed his hand down Colin's side. He carefully slid his fingers over Colin's thigh and let his hand drop with a sigh.

Colin winced as he turned onto his side. He doubted he'd even be able to get out of bed in the morning. He curled up into Bradley and opened his eyes when their noses touched. Blue eyes met his. Colin put a hand on Bradley's neck and then extended his fingers up, his thumb resting near Bradley's lips. He closed his eyes when Bradley's fingers brushed through his hair. He opened them again. Bradley's breath was warm against his lips. He gently caressed Bradley's jaw and looked down at his lips. He pushed faintly against Bradley's nose, applying pressure with his fingers to the side of his face. He shut his eyes, felt himself slipping into the darkness of sleep but tried desperately to hold on for another moment. He wanted so much to retain this serenity. Even if only for a another second, even if it was destined to slip away.

Bradley carefully placed his thumb on Colin's bottom lip. He moved it down to his chin and then up his jaw, watching the subtle dip of Colin's skin as he did. He touched Colin's cheekbone with his index finger and closed his eyes. He was in complete possession of this moment; its tranquil allure, its delicate peace. He knew it couldn't last, that he could fight tooth and nail, focus as hard as he could, and it would still slip into the past and merely become a pleasant memory. He would remember and think of how perfect it was but he would never share again it its bliss. The moment would pass and end. And for that it was all the more beautiful.


	25. Serendipity

Colin woke to an empty bed. Comfortable as he was, he was still alone. He blinked away the remnants of slumber and reached out to touch the disturbed sheets to his left, it was warm to the touch.

The restroom door swung open and heavy feet pounded across the floor. "I had to piss so bad this morning, you would not believe it!" Bradley yawned and plopped back onto the bed, lying down with his head at Colin's feet.

Colin grimaced. "Good morning to you too." Still, he was content to feel the added weight on the bed, it reminded him of how it now took him an additional ten minutes to fall asleep when on his own.

The silence between them was comfortable. Both were lying still, deep within their own thoughts.

Colin ventured into the silence. "What time is it?"

Bradley shrugged. "Eight, maybe even nine."

Colin weighed the silence after Bradley's response, it changed. He felt as if it were just a momentary pause, impatiently waiting to be relieved.

Bradley spoke hesitantly. "Listen..." he said quietly, pausing for a long while.

Colin stared at the ceiling, waiting.

"Did I – I mean, last night," Bradley paused again, his cheeks burning up, "was that good for you?"

"What?" Colin chuckled and sat up.

"Was it okay? What I did? Maybe..."

"Oh," Colin said and stifled a laugh, "you want a review?" He put his hand on Bradley's leg and squeezed it tightly, gently running his fingers up and down. "It was great."

Slowly, Bradley nodded, and Colin lay back down.

Colour rose to his cheeks. He shifted so that he was laying face to face with Bradley and propped himself up on his elbow. "Kiss me."

Bradley obeyed and met his lips.

Colin smiled at him. Only a few months ago he had scowled at himself in the mirror, pulling at his uniform with distaste, grimacing at the thought of going to some pompous school – pompous it was, but Colin adored it anyway – to spend the day with some snivelling, haughty kids. Should someone have told him he'd take to the school and its students without a second thought he would have stared incredulously and laughed. And, had someone told him he would end up falling for a high class prat, prideful and gorgeous, self-centred and kind...he would have shaken his head fiercely, maybe even with something akin to horror. And yet here he was, and here Bradley was, both lying on a bed, where only a few hours ago passions he could have never dreamed of had shaken his body.

Bradley grinned at him leisurely. "I think breakfast is already waiting, but if you'd like to take a shower, feel free."

Colin nodded quickly and rolled off the bed. "Alone!" he called over his shoulder as he went into the restroom. For good measure he locked the door behind him. Colin hopped into the shower before it had even warmed up and hastily scrubbed his body down and rinsed his hair. He was out by the time the steam had begun to fog up the long mirror in front of him and he quickly used his towel to wipe off the haze. He realized he only had last night's suit with him and...and..

"Bradley!" Colin rushed out into the bedroom and scanned the space with feverish eyes. "Bloody hell," Colin whispered.

One eyebrow raised, Bradley looked over at Colin from the bed. 

"Where are our masks?"

"Masks?"

"From last night!"

Bradley looked about for a moment. "Not sure," he shrugged.

Colin rolled his eyes impatiently. "What if we left them at school? In the classroom," Colin stressed.

"Ah," Bradley intoned blankly, staring hard at Colin before throwing an arm behind him lazily and stretching out on the bed, "what of it?" 

Exasperated, Colin made to object to Bradley's indifference but promptly rejected the idea, knowing it to be of no use. Instead, he asked for some clothes to wear and retreated to the bathroom to put them on, nervously running through the consequences of their actions in his head. They'd be expelled – well, not Bradley, but Colin for sure. And if not expelled?

A tap at the door broke through his thoughts and he admitted Bradley into the bathroom.

"Nothing's going to happen," Bradley confidently told him. "I don't even remember what they look like, so why would anyone else?"

Colin couldn't picture the masks either and felt slightly calmer. "Still, they'll know someone has been in one of the classrooms."

Again, Bradley shrugged indifferently. "Do you even know how many people are in Pendragon? And how many wore masks last night? Calm down."

Colin crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. He bit his lip and stared at Bradley. A bubbling laugh escaped his lips and the knots in his stomach eased. He clenched his fists in his shirt and burst out into laughter until his face was red. Doubling over, he hobbled over to the bed and dropped down upon it with a groan.

"Uhm, okay," Bradley said, utterly confused.

"Bradley," Colin groaned his name dejectedly, "I can't believe the things I do when I'm with you."

"No? Because you're pretty good at them," Bradley returned and walking over the bed, gently tugged on Colin's hair, bringing his head up so that he could see his face. "Didn't do that type of stuff back in Ealdor?"

Colin pulled the blond on top of him and lay back comfortably. "Never," he said seriously.

"You never told me why you left."

"Mum got a job? Things changed," he said with a shrug.

Bradley scoffed and shoved his hand in Colin's face, rubbing his palm against his forehead. "Come on, stop pretending to be interesting. Tell me."

Colin smacked Bradley's hand away. He sighed. "I just didn't fit in anymore." He thought for a moment and looked down. "I wanted to find somewhere that I did," he added quietly.

Bradley grinned. "Had any luck?"

Pretending to think hard, Colin looked up at the ceiling and scrunched his nose. "I'm not sure yet," he replied with a coy smile, pecking Bradley on the nose. "Now come on," he said and rolled off the bed, sending Bradley to the floor, "let's go."

They went down together silently and found Uther, Katie, and Gwen seated at the table. A hush fell over the room instantly.

Bradley shot Katie and Gwen a quick smile. He held his chin up and nodded at Uther. "Morning."

Uther stood up and looked at his son for a long moment. "Good morning, Bradley." He made to sit down, but stilled and straightened back up. "And Colin," he added at length, moving his eyes over to the wiry youth standing beside his son. He was met with a nervously cracked smile and frightened blue eyes.

"Good morning, sir."

Uther motioned to the table. "Won't you two join us?"

Bradley stared at his father in shock. "Y-yeah," he stuttered and walked around to Uther's side and sat down.

Colin sat down next to Bradley and said a quick hello to Katie and Gwen. He leaned over a bit and whispered quickly: "We thought you might bring Leon."

"Bugger off, Colin," Katie said cheerfully, though her eyes flashed in warning.

Mrs. Bartlett appeared seemingly out of nowhere and served both him and Bradley with a platter of eggs, two over easy ones for Bradley, and scrambled ones for himself. He nodded at her in thanks and then politely rejected the bacon she was offering. He let Bradley begin and followed suit. Mrs. Bartlett poured him a glass of orange juice and in a separate cup, hot tea. There was a stifling lack of conversation and though the atmosphere wasn't completely unpleasant there was a strain to every movement and the one time Colin chanced a glance at Uther, one that was met, he turned his eyes down right away with an embarrassed flush. Katie and Gwen made an effort to liven up the mood and chattered on about the night before as if it were the event of the decade. For Colin it just might have been.

Uther listened to the girls attentively enough, but seemed disinterested at most.

"I am pleased that there was no trouble. Congratulations, my dear," he said and reached over and patted Katie's hand. "Did you enjoy your night?"

This, directed at Bradley, took a moment to be answered, as his son was in the midst of stuffing a rather large amount of bacon into his mouth.

There were times when Bradley could be more graceful than a swan and so elegant as to make him seem like a fairytale prince, but other times he could be quite the slob, and so very bloody annoying. Colin, though slightly cringing for his sake, rather enjoyed those brutish qualities, for it brought Bradley down to a level which he felt comfortable to reach. There were moments that Colin felt severely inadequate and unfit to be at Bradley's side, but there were enough earthly traits to Bradley that made him feel, if still below him socially, equal enough as a mere person.

"Yeah," Bradley said while chewing. He took a quick gulp of his juice and cleared his throat. "It was pretty amazing actually, Colin really liked it."

Shooting a glare at Bradley at having purposely brought him up, Colin nervously looked over at Uther, who was considering him silently.

"Indeed?"

His tone was one of feigned pleasantry. Surprising those in the room, Colin especially, he continued:

"This was your first dance of such a nature, was it not? I can't imagine you have experienced such things in Ealdor; the schools there are quite small, are they not?"

Colin winced at the mention of his home town and hunched down at the unimpressed tone. Clearly Uther had done some checking up on him, and most clearly wasn't impressed by the result. Bradley moved to speak but Colin stayed him with a hand on his arm. "Yes sir, we didn't have nearly as many students in my school as in Pendragon. Ealdor is quite humble, but my school was not the smallest. There was much here that was new to me, though." He answered simply and truthfully, not feeling the need to do any serious defending on his part, after all, what Uther had said was essentially the truth.

"Have you and your mother adjusted well enough? It must have been quite the change to go from such...humbleness...to a place like Camelot."

Colin disregarded his patronizing tone and straightened up, looking Uther straight in the eye with a comfortable smile. "Camelot is great, and we've both very much taken to it quickly. The school has, as far as I've seen, wonderful teachers,and is managed extremely well – you must be proud."

Uther, startled at the compliment and easy tone, nodded slowly. "Yes, Pendragon is a highly esteemed school, not just anyone gets accepted."

Colin inwardly scoffed. "Unless you have the right amount of money," he thought. Though, to be fair, Colin had been accepted as much for his grade as his new wealth – still comparatively beneath that of his friends, but nonetheless much more than he had had previously.

"I have met a lot of admirable people here," he said quietly, and he couldn't help but shift his gaze over to the figure seated next to him.

Uther's mouth closed into a thin line but he presently made an immense effort to relax; achieving a somewhat more comfortable position and collected disposition before he ended their brief exchange. "I'm glad."

Colin gave him a short nod, acknowledging that this round had been concluded and gladly brought his tea cup up to his lips; it was hot, but he welcomed the heat as it burned its way down his taut throat. Katie nudged him under the table with her foot and her eyes sparkled when he looked at her. Gwen winked at him quickly, and he smiled at them both.

It felt as though a certain threshold had been crossed and he was being rewarded with approval from those around him who had been on the other side. Possibly even Uther, though his eyes were still somewhat like steel, but who was to say if that wasn't how they naturally were; Colin didn't know him well enough to be able to make any complete judgements. After all, Bradley's father had surprised him more than once during their isolated meetings, ones that might eventually turn into something more frequent, he realized. The thought wasn't so displeasing since it meant that his immediate future included Bradley in some way.

Colin thought that he would never go beyond calling Uther, "sir", no matter the time that would pass, due to the man's rather intolerable nature, but he had found his place in Camelot and would surely find his place with Uther one day.

"You done?" Bradley asked him, even though Colin's empty plate spoke for itself. He had asked to make his intent to leave known to those at the table.

Placing his fork and knife on the plate, Colin nodded and stood.

"Thanks for breakfast," Bradley said and made to stride out of the room, but pausing by his father, clapped him on the shoulder affectionately before leaving.

Uther did not smile or particularly react in any way to his son's action, but Colin could see that his eyes seemed to warm at the touch and speak out more than any action ever could.

Colin half bowed to Uther as he left and mouthed an "okay" to Katie as she waved her phone in the air, demanding a call or a text later.

In the foyer, Bradley stood leaning against the stairs with a bemused smile on his face. He was looking at Colin but at the same time through him. "Did that really just happen?" Bradley asked, his lips curling into a wide smile.

Colin nodded. "I told you he'd be fine."

"My dad spoke to you. Normally. Like a normal person talks to another normal person," Bradley said, gesticulation with his hands wildly.

Colin stepped forward and slipped his hands into Bradley's, lacing their fingers. "Yes, he did, didn't he?"

"Come on," Bradley said quietly, his eyes burning with joy, "let's go for a drive."

Bradley made his way leisurely down to his car. "I'm still a bit dazed here," he said with a shake of his head. "Bloody hell!" He laughed and turned to look at Colin with a silly grin.

Colin smiled after him as Bradley made his way to the car. He was dressed in Bradley's clothes and wondered if he could manage to keep them. He rubbed his cheek against his shoulder and Bradley's scent wrapped itself around him. It smelled like home. As he got into the car and Bradley briefly touched his thigh for no reason at all he felt simple peace. Had he had any luck? Colin smiled and turned to face Bradley. Their eyes met and simultaneously they smiled at each other. Colin's life might as well have been the definition of serendipity. Luck, love, fate, whatever it was, as Colin reached out to touch Bradley's hand he realized he had never felt so whole. His life was finally slipping into place.

Everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be.

END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fic I wrote first in 2010/2011 and just brushed up a little. Not one I particularly enjoy but it reminds me of my progress and such. 
> 
> Thanks for reading it (:


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